Early Fire
by Shattered Aura
Summary: What if the church fire happened when Johnny was gone to get supplies?
1. The Fire

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**This here is an idea that my mind came up with at eleven in the night while I was trying to sleep. (Yes, my mind chooses interesting times to come to life and give me good ideas.)**

**For now, I was thinking that it could be a two-shot or three-shot, but if I get, say, 5 reviews or more per chapter, then I'll consider making it longer!**

**Summary: What if the church fire happened when Johnny was gone to get supplies?**

**Yes, a pretty short summary, but it summarizes the story pretty well!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the story plot.**

**Note: everything was written on my Ipad Notes app, so I might have typos and a couple of mistakes. I dearly apologize for that!**

**I hope you guys enjoy! I have the second chapter done, so if I get five reviews for this one, I'll post it by the end of the week, promise!**

**Now read on, and please, R & R!**

XxX

Ponyboy Curtis woke up to the scent of smoke. He coughed once, twice before looking around. He saw no smoke nor was it close, but he could still smell it.

Suddenly he noticed that he was alone in the church. "Johnny?" he called, but he got no answer. He stood up, wiping the message which was written in the sand next to him without ever seeing it, and he started to panic. Had Johnny gone alone to get supplies and had gotten caught by the fuzz? Would he be forever alone in this church? And how would he tell Dally that Johnny was gone?

He doubled over, coughing again. He closed his eyes, trying to get control over himself, and when he opened them again he gasped.

There was a fire in the church, and it was heading straight toward him!

"Johnny!" he shouted, starting to panic. A piece of timber fell next to him, making him scream. Another piece fell down, this time hitting his left arm, almost snapping it in half. He screamed in pain as he fell on his knees while desperately trying to cradle his broken arm, which was also burned.

He didn't notice that the floor he was on was made of wooden planks until one of them gave way under his weight, causing him to fall in a hole. It was deep enough that he barely wasn't able to reach the end of the hole.

He landed on something hard and felt searing pain in his left knee, travelling its way in his entire body, making him scream out in pain. No doubt he had broken it and had hit an important nerve, causing the pain.

He collapsed on the floor, in pain and frozen in fear. Above him, pieces of burning timber and planks collapsed around the hole, until one piece, which looked to be a wooden hatch with square shaped holes in it, fell down in the hole, blocking Ponyboy from getting out of it.

He started bawling from fear of never getting out and never seeing Johnny, his brothers and the gang ever again. He screamed again when more pieces of wood fell down, pinning the wooden hatch on the hole and starting to bury it. He tried to get up but the pain in his knee was unbearable and his shirt seemed to be hooked on something, making him stuck.

He faintly heard someone scream his name until the rumbling of the collapsing church worsened, making him huddle in a ball, ignoring his throbbing knee and arm, terrified. He closed his eyes, sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, everything seized. The rumbling sounds were over, and everything was dark. He realized that he was trapped in a hole inside the church, and it could take hours, if not days before being found. He once wondered what it was like being inside a burning ember, and now he knew; it was being stuck in unbearable heat with no way out except death.

He buried his head in the crook of his right arm, and the only sounds he heard were his own sobbing.

XxX

**(Johnny's POV)**

I made my way back to the church with a box of supplies I had bought with the money Dally gave us. I felt bad for taking two smokes from Pony's pack, the last two ones, but I had a craving and I bought more anyway. I also felt bad for not making Ponyboy come with me, but I figured he was safe.

I saw smoke in the distance and vaguely wondered if there was a fire in a nearby house, but there were about two houses between the store and the church, and it was about a ten minute walk from each other, so it was unlikely.

But them something hit me. The church. Smoke!

Ponyboy!

I dropped the box of supplies on the ground and started at a dead run toward the church, stopping dead in my tracks once I saw it. It was on fire!

I heard a scream from inside the church and I knew without a doubt that it was Pony's.

I finally reached the church and I was about to get in when it started collapsing. "Ponyboy!" I screamed out loud, but I had to take a step back when the church collapsed. "No!" I screamed again when it was finally over. The fire was still raging, and I fell down on my knees, trying to control my tears. There was no way Ponyboy was alive if the church collapsed on top of him.

I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see a cop. I hadn't even heard any sirens, but when I looked up, I saw that there were many firefighters trying to put out the fire, and an ambulance was there in case someone was in the church or close to it. In this case, Ponyboy.

"Are you Johnny Cade?" the cop asked me. I knew what he'd do; he'd arrest me and I wouldn't be able to help save Ponyboy.

I still didn't deny it. "Y-Yeah, Sir I am, b-but please listen to me before hauling me to the station, I won't even fight you, just listen..."

A firefighter joined us while the cop looked at me suspiciously. "Go on, but don't try anything," he warned. I shook my head.

"N-No, my friend, he...he was in the church when it collapsed. I can explain everything on the way to the station, but please, let me help my friend..." I looked at the firefighter. "Please," I begged again.

He hesitated. "Well...I don't want to put another life in danger. Are you sure there's someone in the church at this moment?"

I immediately nodded. "I'm positive," I claimed. "I...I killed a kid last night and the cop knows, and...I was too scared, so my friend was with me and we ran away until we found the church...I smoked this morning and I'm probably the cause of the fire..." I moaned at that though. "Oh God, my friend could die because of me...please let me help!"

The firefighter nodded with narrowed eyes while the cop let go of my shoulder, also helping out in the search for Ponyboy. The firefighter gave me a uniform and a mask and gave me tips to find Ponyboy. "If you find your friend, you can scream in the mask, we'll hear you; just don't take it out, there's still smoke lingering in the air and you could choke."

I nodded and waited until the fire was put out, and then we started tearing the wooden mess piece by piece. I tried to hurry up, knowing that if my best friend was alive (which he was, I had to tell myself), he wouldn't be able to stay awake for long if he was badly hurt and it would be more dangerous for him.

Now was a matter of time and a race against time to find Ponyboy.


	2. The Rescue And The Arrest

**A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for the reviews, it makes me feel good about myself!**

**Lately it hasn't been easy in school and in life itself. I mean, since New Year, in my town, there's already been two deaths of young men in their early twenties, and even though I don't know them, it's affected everyone's mood, including mine.**

**Also, I've had a lot of pressure with my grades since Junior year is the toughest year here, and I've had to leave a theatre piece (Annie, NEVER OUTSIDERS!). Let's say I can't wait for the mood to be lifted.**

**On a side-note, I DO have great grades and the Outsiders piece is getting great! So, that kinda helps with my mood!**

**Anyway, enough with my life already. Thank you so much for the reviews, seriously! And here are my replies to them:**

**dani-curtis-16: ****Thank you, I appreciate it! Enjoy this chapter!**

**Mary Del Mondestos: I kinda have school so I can't stay up every night to write, though! I have to wake up at six in the morning and I am already NOT a morning person! Plus, I write the idea down, but not the text. I wrote the text in the afternoon on my free time, and I guess it still turned out fine! Thank you for taking your time in reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Seth Clearwater: You'll have to read to find out! :)**

**goldengreaser: Thank you!**

**The Youngest Writer: Thank you so much for the awesome review! You have no idea how happy I am that you took the time to review my story! I'm actually a huge fan of your fanfics! And this fan is very happy that you like her work! :D**

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf: Happy you love it. :) Enjoy!**

**FrankElza: Thank you!**

**Note: this chapter is in the Narrator's POV entirely, and is very special. Now, I don't write fanfics with song lyrics in my chapters, but lately I've been addicted to a song called: You Raise Me Up, by Westlife. I listen to it non-stop ever since seeing a video on Youtube about Ponyboy and Johnny's moments in the movie, and that song played on the background. I've never bawled like that! Seriously, guys, go check it out, it's worth it. Tus the reason why this chapter is special: the lyrics of the song represent Ponyboy and Johnny's special bond. I still won't write the lyrics in the chapter but if you listen to the song, you'll understand!**

***Gasps* Whew, what a long paragraph! The chapter is also longer, so I hope you're ready!**

**5 reviews for the next chapter, please! You've respected that demand for the first chapter, so please do it for this one too, thank you!**

**XxX**

It had been two hours now and Ponyboy was blankly staring at the mess above him with bloodshot eyes, tear tracks on his pale face, shaking from hunger, fear and tiredness. He coughed from time to time but it was weak and he was desperate, thinking of various scenarios as to how it could have ended. He was in a way thankful to still be alive but sometimes he wished he could die to escape the pain he was in. Plus, he could see his parents again.

The thoughts overwhelmed him, making him shaky and unable to relax. _No_, he told himself, _I want to stay alive. I want to see Soda and Darry and Johnny and the rest of the gang, even Steve._

He thought of what his brothers must be doing right now. Were they worried? Well, there was no doubt Soda was, but Ponyboy focused his thoughts on Darry. Did he regret hitting him? Was he looking for him right now? Was he missing his baby brother?

Ponyboy sure missed him. He would take the pain of a slap again if it meant getting out of the hole in the safety of both his brothers' arms. He started crying at the thought of never seeing his brothers again.

Suddenly, there was a small light spot above him, and he squinted his eyes to look at it. It was coming from one of the wooden hatch's holes. He could be found!

"Hey, I think I found something!" a voice shouted, and he instantly recognized it as Johnny's.

"Johnny," he screeched, trying to reach out for his best friend, but he used his left arm, forgetting about its broken state. He cried out and slowly cradled it again, looking up as the small spot of light was beginning to grow bigger. He squinted again until the entire wooden hatch was revealed and the spot of light was at its biggest. His eyes widened, seeing his best friend in a firefighter uniform.

"I found him!" Johnny shouted in his mask, relieved to see his best friend still alive but so worried at the same time, seeing him in the state he was in.

Ponyboy was covered in sooth and his left knee was bent out of place. He was cradling his left arm, which also seemed to be broken, and there was a small blood spot on his shirt. His shirt also seemed hooked to something from behind, pinning the injured boy on the ground. He was visibly shaken.

"Ponyboy!" Johnny shouted, letting his best friend know that he was there to save him.

"Johnny," he wailed. "Help," he croaked desperately. Johnny cringed at how weak Ponyboy sounded.

"I'll help you Pony, don't worry," Johnny reassured the boy before turning to the firefighters who were standing around him while trying to get the wooden hatch out of the way. They noticed that it was pinned down by the wood planks around them, so they started hauling them our of the way. Soon, two of them grabbed the heavy wooden hatch and hauled it on another pile. Ponyboy was finally one step closer of being free.

"Can you get up, kid?" a firefighter asked, and Ponyboy shook his head.

"No, I-I think I broke my knee..."

"Hold on kiddo, we'll get you out of that hell-hole," the firefighter said, and then he wrapped a rope tightly around Johnny's waist and whispered something to him. Johnny nodded and slowly climbed down the hole, its wall made of solid rock with a couple of dents big enough to let his foot keep traction. The boy found himself next to his best friend in the hole, who clung to him with his right arm while crying.

"Johnny," the boy cried out, shaking. Johnny could see that the whole thing had frightened him. Johnny rubbed his friend's back but felt something sticky. He looked at Ponyboy's back and noticed a bigger blood spot than the one on the front of his shirt. Then he noticed that the shirt was hooked by a nail in the wall. Why a nail in a rock wall, he couldn't guess, but he had to hurry and get his friend out of here.

"Pony, can you tell me your injuries?" he asked while helping Ponyboy sit on the cot, which was tied up to ropes and lowered in for Ponyboy to sit in to help him out of the hole.

"Uh...broken knee, my arm hurts too," he whimpered. He hissed when he bent up in a more comfortable position to sit still in the cot. "Something on my back stings, and on my stomach too."

"Alright, pull us out!" Johnny shouted, yanking on the cot's ropes. The firefighters helped Ponyboy up and when he was finally out of the hole, paramedics swarmed around him, strapping the frightened boy in a gurney and putting a breathing mask over his face. The remaining firefighters yanked his rope up to help him climb his way back out.

He stripped out of the heavy uniform and made his way to the ambulance when he felt a strong hand in his shoulder. It was that cop again.

But before the cop could handcuff him and put him in the fuzz car, a paramedic ran toward the duo. "Sir, the boy's been asking for that kid," he stated, pointing at Johnny with his chin. "The both of you can hop in the ambulance and let that kid explain everything."

The cop nodded, motioning for his assistant to take the wheel and drive back to the hospital with them as he ushered Johnny in the back of the ambulance. The paramedic quickly closed the doors behind the group, and the ambulance sped to the main road.

"Sir, the nearest hospital is in Tulsa, which is a three hour ride from the church to there. Do you..."

"It'll take us an hour and a half tops to get there," barked the driver, interrupting the other paramedic. "The boy's cuts can at least be treated in the back of the ambulance." The paramedic who was treating Ponyboy took that as a cue to start working on the cuts, unbuttoning Ponyboy's shirt and being careful of his arm. He started getting the sleeve out of his arm but Ponyboy moaned and whimpered, and the paramedic had no choice but to cut the sleeve. Ponyboy opened his eyes and when he saw the knife he panicked.

"Pony, calm down, he's not gonna hurt you!" Johnny said, putting his hand on Ponyboy's right shoulder and squeezing it slightly, calming the boy down. Still, he closed his eyes and whimpered.

The paramedic took it as an opportunity to stab Ponyboy with a needle in the crook of his uninjured arm, making the boy yelp but close his eyes. He fell into a restless sleep.

"What was that?" Johnny asked, alarmed. The paramedic smiled warmly.

"A sedative. The boy was understandably scared, but I do have to treat his wounds without him panicking." Johnny wordlessly nodded, watching as the paramedic completely took the shirt off and working on the cut on Ponyboy's stomach. It wasn't deep, fortunately; it just wasn't real pretty to watch. Johnny wondered out he got it in the first place.

When he saw the gash on Ponyboy's back, he had to look away. The cop, who hadn't said a word before, demanded Johnny to explain him about the murder and the church and everything.

So, Johnny explained everything, with each and every detail, small or not, from the night at the Drive In to the church incident. He left out that Dallas helped them, since he didn't want the tow-headed greaser in trouble. Sure, Dallas had been to jail before; but helping a "murderer", whether it be intentional or not, was serious.

The cop nodded and listened throughout all of it. He seemed genuinely interested and understanding of the young greaser. He seemed to realise, finally, that not all greasers were dangerous.

"Sir," Johnny started to add. "Ponyboy...maybe he was there, and maybe he ran with me, but he has nothing to do with any of it. I should've brought him home to his brothers, and then maybe I could've prevented the fire...but we were both scared, I mean, he had been drowned and almost killed! And...we weren't thinking clearly; we just wanted a safe place to calm down, and we ended up at the church."

"I understand everything, kid, but what's the point of everything?" the cop swiftly asked. Johnny understood that he meant; what was the point in talking about Ponyboy when he was the one who killed Bob?

"All I'm saying is, please, sir, when Pony gets released from the hospital, don't arrest him...I mean, man, I'm sixteen and couldn't hurt a fly and I killed a guy no more than two years older than I am, but he was killing my best friend, I-I didn't want Pony to die! He's only turned fourteen a month ago for Christ's sake, he doesn't deserve to be dragged into this!"

The cop raised his eyebrow but didn't answer. Johnny kept ranting. For such a quiet boy, he sure had a lot to tell. "Pony...he has a future, he's skipped a grade, runs track, has straight A grades, reads and draws a lot. He...he digs sunrises and sunsets and stars and all, I mean he's bright and about the only Greaser who's gonna end up far in life. If he were to die...his family and our friends would've been crushed. He's our hope, man, I couldn't let him die!"

"I know that he does have a role in this and he ran away with me, and I also know that he's gonna want to testify that I didn't mean to kill the guy, but just...don't lock Ponyboy up in a prison cell too, man. He's too young for that and he didn't do anything wrong, I did. He deserves only the best."

The cop nodded, interested. "You know, kid, you surprise me. You two might bring some important change in our society; maybe the warfare between the rich and the poor will die down, and people will understand that money isn't as important as it is."

Johnny smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, sir."

The cop smiled back, but it faded soon after. "I believe what you told me, kid, but the justice still has to be taken care of. We'll have to lock you in a secluded cell, not because you're dangerous, but because this is probably the most important case we've had in forever, and you need to be focused. You'll still be able to have visitors, and I'll ask to be the guard in charge of you to notify you of anything else. You do understand, right?"

Johnny sadly nodded. "Yeah, sir, I do. It's the law, I get it." He shyly smiled. "It makes me feel a little better to know that you're on my side, though."

The cop patted his shoulder. "No problem there."

The ambulance skidded to a stop, giving back focus to Johnny and the cop. The hour and a half had been spent talking about the murder, which surprised Johnny but also made him feel dread.

He followed the cop and the paramedics in the hospital with Ponyboy, but he had to stay in the waiting room while Ponyboy was wheeled in to ER for surgery.

"Wanna call his family before I haul you in, kid?" the cop asked. Johnny nodded and made his way to the payphone, slightly shaking. He dialed Darry's phone number with shaky hands and gulped as it started ringing.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ri-_

In the middle of the third ring, someone answered. "Darry?...It's Johnny...Yeah, I'm fine, but...The hospital...Listen, something happened...You do know about the murder, right?...The place where we were hiding, it caught on fire...He's in surgery..." Johnny looked over at the cop, who motioned for him to hurry up. "Sorry, Darry, but I gotta go...Cops found me, I'm getting...Yeah, but it's alright, he's on our side...Yeah, you can come with Pony after he gets out of the hospital...See ya, Darry, and...take care of Pony, man...Tell him I'm sorry for everything...Bye."

The cop tapped Johnny, wordlessly telling him to turn around. Johnny hesitantly nodded, still nervous, but complied. With complete silence, the cop handcuffed his wrists behind his back and sat him down in the car, and then he sat in the passenger seat while his assistant sped up, to where people called prison, but to where he would call it Hell.


	3. The Discovery

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm a little disappointed right now..I only got three reviews for chapter 2, I mean was it that bad? I thought some of y'all had a little something to say about it..**

**I DID say five reviews per chapter...but that also means ten reviews total...and right now I have eleven...soo I decided to update today! **

****HOWEVER...In order to update the fourth chapter, I'll ask four more reviews to raise the total to fifteen reviews! So, four more reviews, pleasee! **

**Speaking of reviews, though, here are my replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: You'll have to read to find out!**

**Frank Elza: Thank you! I love the fact that you always point out the positive things in my fanfics, I really appreciate it!**

**Mary Jane Evans (chapter 1): But I'm a _smart_ greaser girl, like our sweet Ponyboy! *_* ;) Thanks girl, for the comment AND the review! :D**

**Guest: Thank you!**

**And I'd like to thank all readers who take their time in, well, reading my fanfic! It's highly appreciated!**

**Note: Like I said, my chapters are written on my Ipad notes AND updated via Ipad, so pardon any typos and mistakes! Four more reviews for the next chapter, please! And this chapter starts with Darry's POV!**

Xxx

I barely had the time to step out of the shower that the phone rang. Knowing that Sodapop wouldn't pick it up, still moping in his room, I had to hurry.

It had been an entire day that I hadn't seen Ponyboy. Almost an entire day that I had hit him. The guilt clawed at me, reminding me of his face when my hand met his cheek. I usually couldn't read his emotions easily, but I saw him as clear as a mirror. I think the fact that _I hit him_ hurt him more than the slap itself. It still made me feel guilty all the same.

I picked up the phone at the third ring. "Hello?"

"Darry?" a small voice asked.

"Ponyboy?" I asked, hopeful. Out of the corner of my eye, Sodapop peaked from his room, also hopeful upon hearing Pony's name.

"It's Johnny..."

I stayed mouth agape. Johnny? Where was he? What happened? Was he with Ponyboy? I had a million questions to ask him, but I asked the first that came to my mind. "Johnny? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but..."

"Where are you?" I interrupted.

"The hospital," he answered immediately. Oh, no. Don't tell me... "Listen, something happened..."

"What is it?" I asked. I was getting worried. By the tone of his voice, I had a reason to worry.

"You do know about the murder, right?" he asked in a small voice. Of course I knew. I also knew that Pony was with him.

"Yeah, Johnny, I know," I told him as softly as I could. "Why, what is it?" By then, Soda was by my side, listening to the conversation.

"The place where we were hiding, it caught on fire..." I gulped. Fire. Ponyboy. Hospital.

Oh, no.

"How's Pony? Is he alright?" At this, Soda perked up.

"He's in surgery..." Surgery. Jesus Christ, my baby brother was in surgery. He had been in a fire and was now at the hospital, obviously hurt. I prayed to God that it wasn't permanent.

"Darry?" Soda asked, starting to worry.

I turned to the phone. "Johnny? Are you there?"

"Sorry, Darry, but I gotta go..." he said, hesitating.

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked, alarmed. Where did he have to go?

"Cops found me, I'm getting..."

"What?! Arrested?" I asked, interrupting him. Soda's eyes widened, knowing I was talking to Johnny and also knowing about the murder.

"Yeah, but it's alright, he's on our side," he answered reassuringly. Of course he sounded shaken too, but that was to be expected. Johnny couldn't hurt a fly, and now he was going to prison for murder. He was bound to be shaken by this.

"Are you gonna be able to have visitors, at least?"

"Yeah, you can come with Pony after he gets out of the hospital."

"Well, alright then," I started. "I'll visit you before, too. See you, Johnnycakes."

"See ya, Darry, and...take care of Pony, man."

"I will, Johnny, I will," I promised him.

"Tell him I'm sorry for everything..."

"Alright..." I said, confused, but not asking questions. "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye," he said, and then he hung up. As soon as I hung up too, Soda was on me, asking a million questions, which I couldn't find the right words to answer.

"Get your shoes on, Soda," I told him, my jacket already on. "We're going to the hospital."

XxX

The ride to the hospital was silent. Soda was worriedly looking outside as houses and cars sped by, going unnoticed. He was deep in thoughts, something in which I never thought would happen to Soda. Usually, the dreamer in our family was Ponyboy.

Pony...I hoped he was alright, because damn it, if something bad happened and he is to be scarred for the rest of his life...I'll never forgive myself. It's all my fault he ran away, and it's my fault he's hurt.

I pulled up in the hospital's parking lot and quickly found a spot. Soda didn't even give me time to park before taking off his seatbelt and hopping out of the car so fast it made me dizzy.

My walk inside the hospital was a haze; all I remember is getting to the receptionist's desk and asking for my baby brother, while Soda was pacing behind me. She told us that he was still in surgery and that she didn't have any news so far, but would notify me as soon as she did, so I reluctantly sat down. I had to sit Soda down too since his pacing was making me nervous.

"Sorry," he said once I told him that, but he wasn't really sorry. He was as nervous as I was and worried, too. He cried himself to sleep last night and got a nightmare, something that never happened before. He didn't sleep back and locked himself in his room, moping all day, not eating anything.

And now, we still didn't have news about Pony except that he was hurt and in surgery, which unnerved not only him, but me too. I hit my baby brother, and now he was hurt from a fire. And everything was my fault.

I buried my face in my palms, trying to keep upcoming tears at bay. One slipped and then another, but that was it. I quietly wiped them away.

"Darry?" Soda asked, scooting closer to me. I weakly smiled at him.

"I'm okay, just worried," I claimed. "I'll be fine."

He nodded, but he didn't sound convinced, though he left it at that. "Want me to call the guys?"

The guys. I forgot all about them.

I was surprised at how well Soda was handling the situation so far. He should be the one wiping tears away and feeling helpless, while I should be the one taking charge and calling the gang.

"Yeah", I said. "Yeah, sure."

And so he went, while I was alone with my haunting thoughts in the waiting room.

XxX

**(Soda's POV)**

I reached the nearest payphone and put a dime inside the slot. I dialed the DX, knowing that Steve was pulling a double shift there. "DX station, can I help you?" my best friend's voice greeted.

"Steve? It's Soda..."

"Soda! You okay? How you doing?" he asked, kinda relieved that I was up. He came to see us before the shift but I stayed in my room, quietly crying, thinking about Pony, so he didn't get the chance to talk to me, much less see me.

"I'm at the hospital, man...It's Pony, they found him, but he's hurt..."

"Hang on, buddy, I'll close the DX early and be there in a flash."

I slightly smiled, even though he couldn't see me. "Thanks, Steve. Mind getting Two-Bit and Dally too?"

"'Course," he instantly said, and I once again sighed in relief.

"Thanks, buddy. I gotta go, man, I don't want to miss any news on Pony. See y'all in a bit."

"See you, bud." He hung up, and I did, walking back to the waiting room to join Darry.

"Well?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Steve's getting the guys and they're coming." The blood drained from Darry's face. "What is it?" I asked, confused.

"How are we gonna tell Dally about Johnny's arrest?" he asked, and I froze. Oh, hell, if Dally learned about it...

"I have no idea, Dar," I said, barely above a whisper, "but he sure ain't gonna be happy about it."

We both heard footsteps thundering in the hallway, and turned to see the guys running their way toward us. Darry stood up, once again being the responsible leader that we all knew. "It's better he learn it from us than from Tim. Shepard's bound to know about it already."

"He knows everyone's business," I agreed. "Alright, but you tell him. He ain't gonna deck you." Darry gave a weak smile before getting cold again, facing the guys.

Steve skidded to a stop in front of me, intentionally bumping into me. I gave him a small shove back, also giving him a small smile. Steve was my best buddy; he could make me smile anytime, whether I was worried or sad or mad. Now was no exception.

"Hey guys," Darry said. Dally gave him a cool nod of his head; Two-Bit gave him a wide grin, resulting in Darry rolling his eyes but smiling slightly.

"Hey Superman," Steve said. Darry's smile faded, but I didn't ask questions. I'd wait until we'll be alone to talk to him.

"Sit down, guys, we got news." Steve sat down next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder to reassure me that Pony would be okay, knowing we were at the hospital for him. Dally preferred staying up, and Two-Bit sat down in front of us, pulling a chair closer. Darry sat down on my other side.

Before Darry could speak, Dally finally noticed that someone was missing, and it wasn't Ponyboy. "Hey, where's Johnny?"

I hung my head low and Darry exhaled. "Dally, Johnny was arrested," he stated, without missing a beat. Dally, who was drinking a coke, spit his sip on the floor, ignoring the nurse passing by who looked at him, disgusted. Steve swore under his breath and Two-Bit paled.

"He WHAT?!" Dally roared, looking and sounding furious as hell. We all knew that his anger wasn't directed toward Johnny, of course, but toward the fuzz. Johnny was the last of us Dally wanted in the cooler. Heck, I would've been livid if Ponyboy would've been in Johnny's place.

"Something happened in their hideout," I said, and Dally's piercing eyes glared from Darry's to mine. I flinched but kept explaining. "Johnny said that it caught on fire and...Ponyboy was dead caught in it. We still didn't get any news on him yet..." Steve squeezed my shoulder. I glanced at him, silently thanking him. He slightly nodded back.

"Johnny came to the hospital and called me to tell me about it," Darry finished," and then he was arrested."

Dally was fuming. He slammed his coke bottle on the floor and stalked off, swearing all the way. A grouchy man, who was sitting three seats away from us and was also looking at him, raised an eyebrow. "That young man has an anger issue, does he?"

I stood up and glared at him. "He just learned his little brother was sent to prison," I snapped. "How do you think he's gonna take it? By skipping in the streets and throwing petals on the sidewalk?"

This time Darry put his hand on my shoulder and sat me down. He understood my anger but still frowned at me. "Don't cause a scene here, the doctor might judge you're too emotionally unstable to see Ponyboy."

I buried my head in my palm, my other hand resting on my knee. Steve patted my shoulder twice and settled down in his chair. The waiting room was calmly silent once again, the only sounds heard were the distant clicking of the nurses' heels and my rhyhtmical breathing.


	4. The Visits

**A/N Hey guys!**

**I'm honest-to-God so sorry for not updating earlier! :(**

**My excuse: As I said before on chapter 1 and 3, I wrote my story on my Ipad notes, so I knew I made a couple of mistakes in my other chapters (which I corrected), but I was about to copy-paste my text in this document when instead of pressing "copy", I pressed "cut", and I lost EVERYTHING in this chapter! I rewrote it once or twice but it didn't sound as perfect as before, so I was depressed!**

**Here are my answers to my reviews (which I highly appreciate):**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Dallas being Dallas...He's unpredictable! Read to find out what he does. ;)**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you! I was worried they didn't sound worried enough...I guess you proved me wrong! And no problem with the shout outs, you deserve it! **

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf:**** I would NEVER let Pony die! :o I love him too much to kill him! But...I CAN leave him wounded...read to find out! :P**

**Goldenthorns:**** Read to find out right now! ;)**

**guest ch3:**** Thank you!**

**Guest:**** Thank you!**

**Now, I found the time to post this chapter. As I said above, it isn't 100% as right as it was before...I DO hope that the wait was worth it! And thank you so much for the reviews! 3 more for the next chapter, I'll TRY updating this weekend! Another reason for my lack of updates is finals! Next Thursday is the end of our first semester and we have exams every day! I'm fed up!**

**But anyway, enjoy! The chapter is in the Narrator's POV!**

XxX

He had no idea how he did it, but when he looked up, he found himself standing in front of the police station, fists jammed in his pockets, scowling. The walk from the hospital to the station was a haze; he only remembered hoods glaring at him as he passed by. Their typical way to say hi. And he remembered glaring daggers back at them.

He made his way to the door and threw it open, slamming it shut behind him. He wanted to be heard, to show that he was there, and that he was pissed.

And heard he was.

The cops stopped whatever chit-chat they were doing and put down their coffee mugs to glare at the hood.

One stepped forward, and Dallas found himself face to face with the chief, Bruce. "Winston. What a surprise."

Another cop stood up. He was called Dodge since he owned a 1966 Dodge Rambler, and also because he was the fastest cop in the squad. "We were just about to haul you in. Guess we won't need to."

Dallas sneered. "You wouldn't have needed to, anyway. You know damn well that I have nothing to do with the murder."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "How else would've you known we were talking about that case?"

"You haul me in for every crime. How else wouldn't I?"

"Maybe you're right, but we suspect you've been involved, directly or not," Bruce declared.

"And what if I tell you no?"

"Then we'll have to find out, won't we?" Dallas glared at Bruce, but Bruce glared back, unfazed. He nodded at the remaining two cops, and they left the room. Bruce turned back at Dallas and gave him a chair to sit down. Dallas, of course, didn't comply.

"I didn't come here for a fucking interview," he snapped. "I came here to know who the fuck arrested Johnny!"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That would be Peter, the softie. Why, you gonna kill him?"

Dallas laughed bitterly. "Have a little faith in me, Bruce." Said cop rolled his eyes before the door opened. Dallas immediately glared at the sight he saw.

The two cops from earlier were back, each holding Johnny Cade's arms, the boy's hands cuffed in front of him. He was looking down, but Dallas could tell he had bags under his eyes and was paler than normal. Of course, having darker skin, it would be less noticeable, but Dallas Winston noticed everything about Johnny Cade, whom he cared for more than he himself thought.

"Johnny," he said, trying to sound gruff and uncaring, but his voice came out softer than intended. Johnny snapped his head up.

"Dally?" the boy croaked, sounding amazingly tired. Dally fought hard not to wince at how only a couple of hours in jail had drained the dark-skinned boy. He wouldn't want to see what years would do to him.

The cops sat Johnny down on a chair in front of Dallas', and the hood reluctantly sat down as well.

"Alright, we have a few questions," Bruce started."What happened the night of the murder?"

Johnny shook his head. "I-I don't wanna talk about it," he softly said.

Bruce sighed. Hoods always were hard to question, and most of time weren't honest. Peter had however told him about the Cade kid, claiming he and his friend Ponyboy weren't hoods. He gave Peter the day off to question Johnny Cade himself. "You're gonna have to toughen up, kid. Get you prepared for court. They're not gonna go half as easy with you as I am right now."

Johnny reluctantly launched himself in an explanation on how they found themselves at the park at two in the morning, leaving out the fact that they did so 'cause Darry had hit Ponyboy. He also explained why the Socs had been mad at them. Simply put, he explained everything from the Drive In to his arrest.

"When arrested, you were searched and our police officer found a gun tucked in your waistband. Now we know that the murder weapon was a switchblade, also found in your back pocket with dried blood on it, obviously wiped. In what was the gun useful? Did Dallas give it to you? Be honest, boy."

Dallas was about to say yes when Johnny flat out denied it. "No, I took it from him the night before. Pony had been walking by his lonesome and had been jumped by Socs-not the same group-and I was afraid that the same would happen to me, as it had months before. I wanted defense and it was the only way I could think of. So I hung out with Dally after having helped Ponyboy and I took his gun without him noticing. It ain't loaded anyway; it was just to bluff."

Dallas glared at him while the cop looked at him, unimpressed. "How come didn't you use the gun to get them to let go of your friend, instead of stabbing the Sheldon kid?"

Now Johnny glared at Bruce, and it was the first glare that Dallas had ever seen. "Alcohol gives one false courage, or didn't you learn that before? Eventually they would've guessed I was only bluffing, and they would've drowned Pony, and then would've beaten me up. Plus, I didn't think about the gun at the time; I acted on impulse, and I took out my switchblade and stabbed him. I-I never meant to, he was drowning Pony and..."

"So you killed him out of self-defense?" Bruce interrupted. Johnny was about to talk but Bruce interrupted him again. "Or did you kill him to get revenge on the jumping you had months before? Face it, son; the court could see it as revenge and you'll get the electric chair without a doubt."

Dallas jumped up and grabbed Bruce by the collar. "You son-of-a-bitch! Johnny ain't like that and never will be! Are you trying to help him or fuck with his mind?!"

The two cops pulled the tow-headed hood back to his chair and cuffed one hand to it. They all knew it wouldn't stop him, but still, Dallas stayed still, growling like a guard dog in duty.

Bruce readjusted his collar and glared at Dallas. "Alright then, last question, and if we gotta bring the truth device in then we will. What really happened the night of the murder?" He looked at Johnny once again.

Johnny fumed and stood up. The two cops walked in front of him, preventing him from taking one step toward Bruce, but he didn't move, just glared. "I already told you! He was drowning my best friend and I goddamn killed him! If it would've been the opposite, you wouldn't even be asking him the same questions over and over, you'd probably thank him for getting rid of another greaser and then his parents would bail him out!"

"Don't you realise how wrong you are? The hoods aren't the menace to society, the Socs are! They jump greasers and have bash parties and commit crimes and get away with it! We can't even walk down the street without being looked at wrong! Just because of what? Our clothes? The fact that some of us _steal_ in order to _survive_? Money? Well, money doesn't rule the world and never will!"

Johnny breathed heavily before quietly sitting back down. The dark-skinned boy had never talked much, and now he had shouted a speech. He shouted what he had locked into his heart and mind for so long.

Dallas was glad that the kid has screamed to the cops how unfair the world was for greasers and hoods, but at the same time he was shocked. Johnny Cade was becoming like him; gruff, cold and bitter, hating the whole word.

And that scared the almighty hell out of Dallas Winston.

XxX

**(Alright, you've waited long enough...)**

Soda's knee was bouncing up and down at a rather fast pace, resulting in Darry and Steve glancing at him every five seconds or so.

"Soda, stop that, you're making me nervous," Darry softly said, chuckling half-heartedly to lighten the mood, in vain. Sodapop stopped for about a minute before starting again.

It had been three long hours of wait. It was now ten thirty in the evening and no one in the gang had moved much except Two-Bit, who had gotten the gang something to eat, and Darry, who had to sign paperwork for Ponyboy.

"Soda," Darry gently scolded, "you haven't eaten an ounce of food since last night. Try to at least taste your muffin." Sodapop glanced at him and nodded, fumbling with the paper wrap on his chocolate chip muffin and munching on the base. "And stop it with that jumping knee, you're making us crazy." Soda glared but it wasn't near as threatening as normal. He just looked tired. Still, he did as Darry told him to do, not feeling up for an argument.

"Darrel Curtis?"

The doctor's voice snapped both Darry and Soda's heads up, and they stood up, facing the man in white. Two-bit and Steve stood up behind them, keeping a reasonable distance.

"Doctor Carl Ross, doctor in charge of Ponyboy's surgery."

Darry shook his hand. "Darrel Curtis, Ponyboy's oldest brother and legal guardian." Ross smiled warmly and looked at Sodapop. "You must be the middle brother, Sodapop. Ponyboy strikingly looks like you."

Sodapop smiled, although half-heartedly. "Is he okay?" Darry frowned at him, wordlessly telling him to mind his manners. However, he couldn't blame Soda; if Soda hadn't asked the question, then he would've.

Ross nodded and smiled, much to the boys' relief. "He's doing relatively well. He has a cut on his torso which was deep enough to stitch but nothing dangerous. The cause is still unknown; a jagged beam could've scratched its way on his torso when falling down, or he could've done that while falling in the hole."

"Hole?" Soda asked, concerned. It already didn't sound good to him.

Ross nodded. "Yes, I talked to a firefighter and he stated that Ponyboy had fallen down in a hole deep enough so he couldn't reach his way out. A wooden hatch with holes had blocked the hole and wooden beams had pinned it, in a way protecting him from the rest of the beams when the church caved in, but otherwise trapping him deeply under the mess."

"He has a deeper cut on his back caused from a nail, in which his shirt got stuck, pinning him to the floor. When he fell down, he broke his knee, so he wasn't able to get up anyhow. His leg is covered in a cast and will be for two months, if not three, depending on how quickly he recovers."

"He has inhaled some smoke but it's nothing severe. We plugged him on the ventilator but while unconscious he proved it useless. The last thing is his arm. He has a cast on his arm from a beam falling down on it, causing the break. He will have to keep the cast on for a month and a half, and he will have to come here for a weekly check-up to look it up and see how fast his arm heals."

Darry sighed. "Thank you so much, Doctor Ross." Ross smiled. He lead the group down to Ponyboy's room, but then turned to look at Two-Bit and Steve, who hadn't said a word since the doctor came.

"Now, I would only allow immediate family, but I have a feeling I can trust you boys. Can I?" Two-Bit solemnly nodded while Steve smiled an honest smile, something he only did to Sodapop and his girlfriend, Evie.

Ross opened the door to reveal a small boy in a too big hospital bed. His leg was propped up and so was his arm, both trapped in big blue casts. His eyes were closed and he was breathing lightly.

Doctor Ross watched with interest as Darry and Sodapop sat down on each side of the bed and took the boy's hands. For his left hand, Sodapop held his fingers while Darry clutched the right hand tightly in his. The brothers were strikingly close and had a very tight bond; Ross could feel their love for their baby brother radiate in the room and plainly show on their faces. The Curtis brothers certainly were an interesting bunch.

He was so focused on his thoughts that when he heard the bed creaking slightly, he was snapped out of his thoughts and he looked over. Ponyboy was twitching and Darry could feel his hand being clutched back, probably for familiarity.

Ponyboy's eyelids felt heavy, as if he had rocks keeping them closed, but with the encouragement of his brothers, he managed to open those precious greenish-gray eyes of his. Sodapop smiled at him, radiating even more love than possible. Just as he was about to greet Ponyboy, said boy interrupted him.

"Who are you?"


	5. The Memory Problem

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I found time to update this weekend after all! And thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Nice penname! Here's the update! :)**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you liked it!**

**TheOrangeHokageOfTheLeaf:**** Thank you so much! I hope you like this chapter!**

**FrankElza: Thank you! I kinda forgot to warn you guys about the cliffie, I'm glad that you like it, and I'm glad that you commented about the police station scene!**

**And thank you to the rest of y'all for reading my fanfic, it's really appreciated!**

**Note: Now I probably won't be able to update until this Tuesday since I still have a couple of exams left! But please, 4 reviews and more for the next chapter!**

**WARNING: Shorter chapter, cliffie at the end! Enjoy!**

*****P.-s.: Check out Belle McGrath's new story, The Last Sunset! This author is a friend of mine and an awesome writer! She's basically the reason why I love Outsiders so much and started writing! For those of you who like OC fanfics, The Last Sunset is the perfect choice to read!**

XxX

We all stared in shock, mouth agape.

_What?_

I couldn't believe it. "Pony, are you okay?" I asked, trying to sound really worried on purpose so I could be proved wrong. I really didn't have to try, but it still wasn't enough.

"W-Who are you?" he asked again, a tear sliding down his cheek. I reached out for him to wipe it off but he shook his head and backed away. My heart broke. The doctor muttered something but I swear I heard my heart break more than I heard his voice.

"N-No!" I cried out. "Ponyboy, it's me...your brother, Sodapop! D-Don't you remember?" I asked, tears sliding down my cheeks without me paying any attention to them. Ponyboy closed his eyes and then he looked back at me, shaking his head again, a tear of his own making its way down his young face.

I turned at the doctor. "Why?" I cried out. "Why can't he remember us?! You didn't say anything about losing memory!"

Darry, who had been standing stiff next to me, wrapped his arms around me and let me cry in his chest. He rubbed my back while my sobs rocked my body, wetting the front of his shirt. I could tell he didn't care about that, as he whispered for me to calm down. His voice was soothing but I couldn't find myself to stay completely calm.

"Why didn't you prevent us about this?" Darry asked, his voice full of emotions: worry, sadness, but also anger, directed toward the doctor.

"Here's the thing, Darrel," Dr. Ross said, and I looked at him, still wrapped in Darry's arms, sniffing occasionally. "We checked everywhere we were told injuries were present, but the paramedics didn't say anything about any head injury, and I neither didn't see one. He most certainly didn't lose memory by hitting his head."

"Well how could he have lost it, uh?" I asked, my voice shaking. "'Cause I don't see how else he would've!" Darry rubbed my back again, and my heavy breathing slowed down a little.

"My best guess would be stress, caused by the..."

"Can we discuss this outside?" Darry hissed, glancing at Pony and then at me. Ross nodded, walking outside the room. Darry rubbed my back one last time before letting go of his embrace and making his way out the door. I grabbed his wrist.

"No! Darry, I wanna hear this too! Pony's my brother too!" I protested. He wiped a tear off my face.

"I'll tell you everything, alright? It's better you hear it from me than from the doctor, anyway." I nodded. "Plus, I want you to stay with Pony, see if he'll get his memory back by talking." I nodded again and smiled as Darry affectionately ruffled my hair before followed the doctor.

I turned back to look at Pony. He looked so lost in the hospital bed, it nearly sent me to tears once again.

Someone cleared their throat, and I then realised that Steve and Two-Bit were still here. Two-Bit looked pale and Steve was looking at me, his eyes softening. "Want us to leave and come back tomorrow, Soda?" he asked. I was glad he asked; I would never have the heart to kick him out, but I wanted some time alone with Pony to stimulate his memory and maybe get my baby brother back.

I didn't answer but I guess my face said it all, since he put his hand on my shoulder, nodded, patted it twice and then left the room quietly. Two-Bit glanced at Ponyboy wordlessly and left with a small wave of his hand.

I focused my attention back on Pony, who was still looking at me. I sat down on his bed, mindful of his legs, and put my hand next to me loosely, hoping I could at least hold Pony's hand even if he didn't remember me.

"He seemed to get the message, however he did, 'cause he cautiously scooted closer and tapped my hand with his soft finger. I turned my hand and grabbed his gently, smiling at him. He didn't smile back but he ever so softly squeezed it.

"Do you remember anything at all, honey...?" I asked, not caring that I called him names despite him not remembering who I am. Maybe it would help him remember.

He bit his lip but didn't shake his head. His eyes glazed pretty quickly and I could easily tell that he was deep in thought. Meanwhile, I could faintly hear Darry talk to the doctor behind the door. Hopefully he knew what was wrong with Pony.

I felt another squeeze on my hand and noticed that Pony was looking at me. "I-I remember something..."

I was overjoyed. I smiled brightly. "What do you remember?"

"I-I remember red...heat... Erm, I remember pain, and then darkness, and then... nothing... Silence." My smile faded. Oh, Hell, he remembered the fire. That was NOT a good start.

Just then, the doctor walked back in.


	6. The Cause

**A/N: Hey guys! **

**As promised, I update today!**

**WOW! Seven reviews in one chapter, again! You guys are making this author here very happy!~3**

**Here are my replies to them:**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you're glad! Hehe, thank you for enjoying my story so much!**

**sevenwise:**** Here's your answer to Darry's thoughts! ;)**

**Belle McGrath:** **I love your review girl, I understand you soo much. x) Thank you for the compliment!3**

**The Curtis Crew:**** They're my favorite brothers too! Like really, I'd die if I'd meat Rob Lowe or Tommy Howell! To me they'll always be Sodapop and Ponyboy Curtis!3 Thank you for the review, here's the update!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!**

**Guest:**** Sorry! Here's the update! :P**

**Guest (2):**** Thank you!**

**Note: I'm not 100% satisphied with this chapter; I feel kinda rushed, you know! I have a lot of exams (today I had three or four, I lost count) and I have two tomorrow I think! At least the semester ends Thursday, I'll be able to breathe a little better! I still hope you like this chapter, though! Next chapter will be posted during the weekend, if I can't update before. If I can update Thursday then I'll update this weekend too!**

**Warning: Cuteness overload later in the chapter!**

**Two reviews to update! You've made me happy so far with that! I'd like if you could up it to seven reviews for this chapter too but I'll still update if you don't! ;) Since, you know, I love y'all.3**

**(Alright I think you've had your heart dose for the day! The chapter is in Darry's POV this time, entirely. Read on!)**

XxX

I closed the door behind me as Doctor Ross stared at me. He motioned with a nod of his head to follow him to his office, and I bit my lip. Ponyboy was fine, so why did we have to go to his office? Usually only bad news were given in there, or so I always believed. I didn't want that theory to be proven true.

I inwardly scolded myself. I was acting like a frightened child. Ponyboy would be alright.

I sat down on the chair in front of his desk, and he sat down behind his desk, all business like.

"Well, Darrel," he started, "as you have seen, Ponyboy seems to have lost his memory."

_Give the man a prize,_ I thought, inwardly rolling my eyes. I nodded to show that I was listening, but I didn't want small talk; I wanted the cause and the cure right now.

"As I was about to say before I was interrupted, it hasn't been caused by a head injury but most likely by a very stressful situation; in this case, the fire. Ponyboy doesn't remember anything due to the amount of stress he has been through. A small space and darkness are two factors that could trigger anxiety. Ponyboy has been stuck in a hole in the dark for two hours; who knows how terrified he could've been. This kind of stress can have disastrous effects on the human mind."

I digested the information and slowly nodded. "So you're saying that his memory loss could be long-term?" I found I had trouble pronouncing those two words. Ponyboy couldn't lose his memory forever, he had to remember me. If he ended up scarred in any way...

The doctor nodded. "Could be. The keyword here is _could_. However, there _is_ no telling if it could be long-term or not without running a couple of tests, which I suggest we do first thing in the morning. Right now, Ponyboy needs to rest and visiting hours are already over, so I suggest you boys rest home as well."

I nodded. Rest. I can sure need some, and so does Sodapop.

I got up and shook his hand. We walked back to Pony's room in silence. I guess I looked gloomy since all the nurses we passed seemed apologetic. I didn't understand why they would be; they didn't hurt Ponyboy.

No, they didn't; I did, and the guilt clawed at me the second he broke out of the house into a run. I drove him to the park. Socs hurt him, Johnny killed one of them. I drove them to the church, where the fire happened, where Pony got hurt. Maybe he was doing fine physically, but mentally...

I shook those morbid thoughts out of my head. I'd do anything for him. And I meant it. I vowed I'd take care of him since he was born and I was holding him in my six year old arms.

*Flashback*

_"__Daddy! Daddy!" Soda had said, bouncing up and down in front of him excitedly. I had stayed still on the chair next to Dad's._

_"__Yeah, Pepsi?"Dad had tiredly answered, still smiling at Soda._

_"__When's my baby sistah coming, uh? Uh? Uh?" he had asked, grinning from ear to ear. While Soda had been happy to have a baby sister, I was dreading it. I loved being a big brother, but twice? It had seemed like a nightmare to me._

_"__Soon, Sodapop, soon," Dad had answered, chuckling at Soda's excitement. I had tugged at Dad's shirt, a little tired of waiting for my baby sister._

_"__Daddy, why ain't you with Mama?" I had asked him curiously. My friend told me that his father had been with his mother to wait for the baby while he was being babysat home._

_"__It's 'aren't', Darry," he had gently scolded. Then he had smoothed back my hair with a loving smile. "And I need to take care of you two monkeys."_

_I clearly remember having scowled while Soda had stopped jumping. "Hey! I'm no monkey!" he had protested and jumped straight into Dad's lap as a "punishment". Dad had breathed in and ruffled Soda's hair, who had squealed. Then he held him tightly while he let me tickle him. I remember a nurse glaring at us but a doctor smiling at us, too amused at the scene to stop it. Soda had squealed with laughter and made older people smile. Even at three years old, he could make anyone smile._

_Then when we had calmed down, the doctor had gotten us and we had walked eagerly to Mama's room. She had been crying and I had wondered if anything had gone wrong. My teacher had told us that she had lost her baby when giving birth to it and had cried. Did that mean I didn't have a baby sister anymore?_

_"__Oh, Daisy, what's wrong? Is our little girl alright? Are _you_ okay?" Dad had asked worriedly upon seeing Mama. Mama had nodded, smiling through her tears._

_"__Oh Darrel, it's a baby boy!" she had said before bursting into tears once again._

_Dad had looked shocked before his face broke into a wide grin. Soda had jumped, squealing: "Cool! A baby bwoder!"_

_I had NOT been amused. Another baby brother? Another boy in the family?_

_Dad had put a comforting hand on my shoulder and had slightly pushed me toward Mama's bed. I had sat down on it and had held Mama's hand tightly. Soda had done the same with her other hand; he had wanted to hug her but Dad had said to be careful with Mama. He had pouted but otherwise had listened to him._

_A nurse had walked back in, holding our baby brother in her arms, tightly wrapped in a baby blue blanket. He had kept his eyes closed shut._

_At first, Mama had confused me when she had said she hadn't wanted to hold him, but then she had smiled at me, wordlessly telling me to hold him. I had gulped; I hadn't wanted to hurt him._

_"__Go on, Junior." Dad had encouraged with a grin, "you can hold him." I had nodded and the nurse had carefully put him in my arms._

_Just then Ponyboy had slightly squirmed, making me gulp, and he had opened his eyes, looking straight at me. His eyes had been bright green._

_And then he had done something that had truly warmed my heart. He had smiled right at me. _

_Soda had jumped off the bed and had sat down next to me. "He wooks so cute!" he had exclaimed in his three year old voice. "He wooks like a wittle baby pony!"_

_Dad had grinned at Mama, who had grinned back. "Pony...boy. Ponyboy. That's how we're gonna name him!"_

_Soda had squealed. "Oh boy! He gets a cool name like mine!" I had smiled too. Ponyboy._

_I had kissed his forehead, vowing right then and there that I'd protect Ponyboy Curtis all my life._

*End of flashback*

I had vowed to protect him and I had failed. I felt bad, like all those times I had disappointed Mom and Dad. I felt like I disappointed them both again, like they were watching and disapproving my mistake. Hitting Pony was the biggest mistake of my entire life; I'd keep awake at night about it until the day I died. Because of that, he might be scarred forever. I hoped he wouldn't. I hoped he'd be fine.

Doctor Ross opened the door to Pony's room and walked in. Soda's head snapped up, looking worriedly at me. I shook my head, pointing the doctor with my chin. He nodded and squeezed Pony's hand. Pony looked lost in the bed; so lost it nearly broke my heart in two pieces. _One for him and one for me_, I thought dully.

"Ponyboy," the doctor said, and Pony's head snapped up. At least he knew what his name was. "Did you remember anything while we were gone?"

He nodded. "I-I remember red...heat... Erm, I remember pain, and then darkness, and then... nothing... Silence." I noticed that Soda's face paled. Either Pony had told him, or he was shocked that Pony remembered the fire. Pony didn't seem to know what exactly he _had_ remembered, and I didn't want to tell him. Not yet.

The doctor seemed to think the same thing, for he didn't say anything about it. "Well, that's a good start, kiddo." He smiled at him. Pony didn't smile, just stared. "I suggest right now we let you sleep since it's getting late." Pony nodded, yawning as if proving Ross' point. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to run a couple of tests with your head to check what caused your memory loss, alright, kiddo?" Pony nodded again, this time more warily.

Soda frowned. "Can't we stay here with him tonight? I mean, he could remember something else, and we should be here if he does." I had to give it to Soda; he could be as stubborn as Pony. I guess it was a gene that ran in all our blood; I was pretty stubborn too and I didn't deny it.

The doctor nodded. "Yes, you're correct, but we'll have nurses checking him every two hours or so for any possible sign. It's most unlikely that Ponyboy gets his memory back in less than one day."

I squeezed Soda's shoulder. "He's right, Little Buddy. There's nothing we can do here anymore. Just let the doctor and nurses take care of Ponyboy for one night, and then we'll spend the day tomorrow with him, alright?"

Soda nodded, and I noticed that he looked tired. _Poor Soda_, I thought. He didn't sleep at all last night, worried as heck for Ponyboy, and he couldn't sleep with him again for another night.

I realised then that Soda needed Pony just as much as Pony needed Soda. Pony needed Soda to chase his nightmares away, and Soda needed Pony for strength; having Pony by his side made him feel strong, like he could protect him from everything. I realised then that their bond ran deeper than I thought, that they were closer than brothers ever could be.

I sighed. I wished I could be closer to Ponyboy. I had no problem with Soda; Soda I could easily handle. But Ponyboy...the both of us were stubborn and it was hard to act like a parent when I was only six years older than him. I just wished I could find a way to repair that.

And now Pony lost his memory and doesn't even remember me. I hung my head low as I ushered Soda out of the room, leaving Pony behind, again.


	7. The Call

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I'm sorry for not updating earlier. I wanted to update Friday but I didn't quite finish the chapter and I wasn't satisfied with it. And yesterday, I was at a friend's house. As for today, well I caught a fever and I'm resting but I didn't have anything to do so I decided to update. I'm again not 100% satisfied with the chapter, even after re-writing it, but I hope you like it!**

**I'm a little sad that I only got two reviews for the last chapter. I thought some of you had more things to say about it. :/ Anyway, here are my replies:**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you sooo much for the review, you're like one of my favorite reviewers, I LOVE it when you point out precisely what you liked! I'm also glad you commented about the flashback. Thank you!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** Here's the next chapter! Thank you for reviewing!**

**Now, five reviews for the next chapter, guys.**

***Note:I'm thinking about changing the title of the story to I See Fire. I listened to the Ed Sheeran song and I really like it. It won't be a songfic but I honestly believe that it would make more sense than Early Fire. Tell me what you think, guys!**

****Note: For those of you who have paid attention to my replies to others' reviews, you'll notice that there's a girl named Belle McGrath who's been reviewing my story. (She went by the name of Mary Jane Evans before) Belle is one of my best friends in real life, she's the director of The Outsiders theatre play at school and one of the reasons I love Outsiders so much and started writing fanfics about our favorite greasers. She's also a huge fan of the Outsiders and she's currently writing her OC fanfic called The Last Sunset. Please check it out, for those of you who like OC fanfics! She's amazing.**

*****IMPORTANT: I know I'm taking a huge risk writing this fanfic with all the medical knowledge in it. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever and what I write in my fanfic is information based on research. I'm doing a lot of hard work to make this fanfic cool and realistic. If some readers DO have medical knowledge, please don't be shy to tell me if something doesn't make the least sense. I'm trying real hard though and hopefully I know what I'm doing, so no flames or hurtful comments, please. I didn't get one so far and I'd like to keep it this way. I accept constructice critism though.**

**Now, this A/N is getting long, but so long as you read the Important Notice, it's fine. This chapter starts with someone's POV...guess who, and enjoy!**

XxX

I officially hate it here. I mean, who doesn't?

Well, I remind myself, some hoods don't. They like it better here than home; at least they have meals for free and a place to sleep.

But me, I have the Curtis house. I have the lot to sleep in. I have Two-Bit's house. I have Buck's in case I go there with Dally. Here I have no one and nothing but the same room and the same bed.

I officially hate prison.

I can't sleep on this damn bed and people already started harassing me. I actually like being in a secluded cell; I'm not bothered by anyone outside of dinner time and showers and everything. But sometimes I wished I could have company. I don't care if I sound selfish, but I want Dally to get in trouble just so he could be with me. I'd feel safer.

He wasn't too happy yesterday when he left. I thought I saw worry and disbelief in his eyes when he looked at me before leaving the station. I had been brought back in my cell to get some sleep, but I couldn't find any.

I don't know what time it is, but it's pretty early in the morning, that I can tell. I'm tossing and turning, and I just can't close my eyes and find sleep. Time sure slows down in the cooler. I'm bored.

Something pops in my head and I slowly make my way to the bars where the guard is. I tap him on his shoulder, careful not to wake him up harshly.

"Eh...?" he mumbles, then turns to me. He shoves my arm back inside the cell since it was still outstretched for me to tap him.

"Thought you could get away, eh..." he mutters. I shake my head. "No? Then what the heck do you want?"

"I want paper and a pen, please, sir," I ask as politely as I could. It pisses me off that he thought I would escape and judge me.

He cusses under his breath and gives me his notebook and a pen. "Write what you want and hurry up. It's the middle of the night; I don't see why you wanna write anything."

"Well I can't goddamn sleep and I wanna write a letter to my friend," I snap. "Is that too much to ask?" He cusses again and sits down on his chair without a word. I write my letter as fast as I can and reluctantly gives it back to the guard, who's still looking a bit pissed at me. He snatches it from my hand and calls another cop to get it and send it to Pony's house. I hoped he'd see it when he got back from the hospital, or I hoped Darry or Soda saw it and gave it to him.

I lie back down on the bed, and I'm surprised to feel droopy all of a sudden. I close my eyes and finally fall into a restless sleep.

XxX

**(Darry's POV)**

I woke up to the sound of something shrill and loud. I looked at the clock; it read four in the morning. I briefly wondered if it was Pony's scream, but then I remembered that Pony was in the hospital.

The hospital, I gulped._ I should be with him right now_, I thought.

I hurried out of bed only to find Sodapop in the hall, talking on the phone. The phone must've been ringing, and that was the shrill sound I heard.

"Oh uh...he's right there," Soda said, then gave me the phone, eyes clouded.

"Hello?" I said, wondering who it could be.

"Hello, Darrel. This is Doctor Ross on the phone." Oh, hell. Ponyboy.

"Yes, what is it?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Ponyboy was having a nightmare; he was screaming in his sleep." Aah, shit. "You see, right now Ponyboy is showing signs of being into a sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. Usually, the PTSD is developed after a traumatic experience. A fire wouldn't terrify most of people; it would mostly leave them shaken. But it seems to have left Ponyboy more than just a little shaken, and usually the traumatic event replays itself in the victim's mind by either flashbacks or nightmares."

"It's a little like soldiers, isn't it?" I asked.

"Yes," Ross answered, "exactly. And my best guess is that Ponyboy's nightmare was about the fire; the events replaying themselves in his already confused mind. Now; has Ponyboy had nightmares even before this event?"

I was dreading this question. "Yes, after our parents died, about eight months ago," I answered. "He would wake up screaming bloody-murder, and we would rush in his room to wake him up."

"Our brother Sodapop," at this, Soda perked up, "decided to sleep with him to ease his nightmares. We also asked a neurological specialist for help when they didn't stop, and he told Ponyboy to exercise more, to tire himself out so he would be too exhausted to dream. Occasionally he would still have nightmares but they weren't half as bad and wouldn't happen half as much."

"Has he once tried to use sleep deprivation to get rid of this problem?" Ross asked.

"No," I answered, too fast for my liking. "No, no he hasn't," I repeated more slowly. "He's been sleeping fine since his nightmares stopped recurring as much as they did." At his lack of answer, I asked, "Why? Does it have to do anything with his memory loss?"

"Sometimes sleep deprivation does," Ross confirmed. "Fortunately, since Ponyboy hasn't done that lately, his memory loss won't be affected more." I breathed with relief, glad that there wasn't another problem added.

Still, I was curious. "Why are you explaining everything to me on the phone? Now don't get me wrong—I know it's important, and I'm glad I was told, but couldn't it wait until morning?" Something dawned on me. "Is there something I can do right now to help?"

"Well, yes," Ross answered, sounding desperate. "Many nurses are trying to inject an IV in Ponyboy's arm to help him relieve his stress and make him sleep, but he isn't cooperating. I was hoping that with both you and Sodapop, he would calm down and get some rest. Now I know that he still doesn't remember the two of you, but maybe that would help better."

I sighed. "With all due respect, sir, I don't think he's going to _want _to fall back asleep. If anything, he's just gonna be more tired when you do the tests for his diagnosis."

There was a silence, and then, "Are you suggesting that perhaps we do the tests right now?"

I pondered the idea in my head. "No, I wasn't suggesting that, but now that you mention it, I think it would be better."

"Alright, then," he said. "We'll get everything ready for the tests. Can you still come and at least try to calm him down? He's shaking like a leaf and won't let any nurse approach him."

I ran a hand through my messed up hair with worry. "Yeah, we can come. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Alright, thank you Darrel."

"You're welcome. Bye," I said, then hung up. Sodapop was looking tired but also worried. Poor kid.

"C'mon Soda, we're going to the hospital. I'll explain on the way." He nodded without a word and got dressed, stumbling in the truck after me. I revved the engine and drove out of my driveway toward the hospital for the second time in two days.

**(A/N: I could end it here with a wanna-be cliffy but you guys would have your dose of them, so I'll be nice and keep the chapter going!)**

XxX

Soda was silent for the rest of the ride after I told him about Ponyboy. He hasn't shed a tear yet, and I hope he doesn't break soon. I know he was worried as hell for our baby brother. Heck, I was too.

I parked in the closest space I could find, and then we fast-walked in the hospital. When I reached the receptionist's desk, Ross walked in the room, so I motioned for Soda to come along and we both followed Ross to Pony's room.

When we got there, two nurses were trying to inject an IV into him, but he had his head buried in his arms, hugging his knee which was pulled to his chest while the other one was still propped up. His injured arm was by his side. He was visibly shaking and we could hear a sniffle.

"G-Get away...please..." I cringed at how young he sounded. He sounded like a scared toddler, not like the fourteen year old kid that I saw home every day.

"Ponyboy," I said, surprised at how soft my voice sounded. His shaking seemed to cease and he glanced at me. Sodapop had already made his way to Pony's bed. He hugged him carefully, mindful of his arm. I saw Ponyboy flinch back but he didn't pull away from the hug.

"Shhh, it's gonna be alright, honey," Sodapop soothed, rubbing Pony's back slowly. Ponyboy seemed to stop shaking but he didn't uncurl himself from his position. I could tell it hurt Soda's feelings. "Calm down, baby, you're gonna be just fine."

The nurse backed away, seeing as how Pony was calmed down and didn't want to scare him again. Ross told them to get out of the room and get the test room ready for him. One of the nurses bit her lip but nonetheless followed the others out the room. Ross advanced toward Pony and Soda.

"Ponyboy," he said, and Ponyboy looked up at him. He didn't start crying or panic, so I was guessing that Ross spent a lot of time with him to ease him up and at least let him see a familiar face often. "Are you ready for a couple of tests?"

"W-What kind of tests?" he asked, but I could tell he wasn't so scared. He was a little curious but also wary.

"We're gonna see why you don't have your memory and why you had that nasty nightmare. How does that sound?"

To me, it sounded like Ross was talking to a small child, but that didn't seem to faze Pony. If anything, it also calmed him down, soothed him even.

Ponyboy nodded and got up with Soda's help just as a nurse wheeled in a wheelchair. He paused, not wanting to go too close to the nurse. "Uh...do you want me to wheel you, Ponyboy?" I asked.

He looked up at me and nodded, settling in the wheelchair with Soda's help, since he couldn't move easily because of the casts. I grabbed the two handles and carefully made my way to the test room where two nurses were. Ross followed me in, and then he put a hand on my shoulder. "You're gonna have to wait in the waiting room while we perform the tests, Darrel. Ponyboy is going to be fine."

I wordlessly nodded then pulled Soda with me in the waiting room. He sat down on the chair next to me, while I picked one of the magazines out of habit, thinking it was the newspaper. I stared at it and read it, but all I could make out were blurry words. I could only pick bits and pieces of the paragraphs, which were about health and other medical advice, such as "eat healthy".

I felt something hit my shoulder and I glanced to my left, where Soda had sat down. He had fallen asleep, his head on my shoulder. I slowly shifted and wrapped my arm around him, pulling him closer, his head now resting against my chest. I put the magazine back in its place and with my other hand, ran my hand gently in his hair, which he hadn't bothered to grease. It fell down on his forehead in soft locks and I smiled.

I glanced at the clock and noticed that it was now four thirty in the morning. I yawned, as if the yawn proved that it was way too early for me to be awake. I closed my eyes, planning to rest only, but soon I found out that I fell asleep.

XxX

**A/N: Please check out my new one-shot, Forever My Brother! It would mean a lot!**


	8. The Shepards

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Wellup, I'm in a relatively good mood. I got six days rest at home and I'm starting to feel better! I still can't talk too long or my voice scratches and comes out shitty, but otherwise I'm okay. I can still write chapters! ;)**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are the replies:**

**whirlwind29:**** Thank you! :)**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Alright, alright, here it is!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you, glad you did. :)**

**FrankElza:**** Ohmergersh, I really love you right now. Your review almost made me cry, them feelz though! I felt like I didn't have enough effort put or if Ponyboy was TOO traumatised by the fire or if his brothers were TOO worried (but I should know that you can never worry too much, especially the older Curtis brothers) but you tell me everytime that it's just the perfect amount, so thank you so much!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** I'm really jealous of your penname, like no I am in denial. If you're Pony's girlfriend, then you _share_, girl! :P Anyway, thank you for the review!**

***Okay, so some of you might think that I write the story just for reviews. Sure, reviews are fun, and I know that I always complain that I don't have enough or that I need five or more per chapter, and it isn't always easy to comply to, but it really isn't for that reason that I write this story. **

****I turned sixteen a few months ago and back at our school, not much people are accepting of Fanfiction, much less of me (I'm not hated but not popular either, but I don't care) and if some people were to know that I _write_ fanfiction about the Outsiders, I would get judged, and I don't want a repeat of elementary school (we don't have middle school but if he would've, than "it" would've happened in middle school), so I keep my writing a secret. However, a smart girl figured it out and now we've basically became best friends, finding out that we have much more than Outsiders in common but this is our strongest interest!**

*****And that girl is Belle McGrath, and I thank her so much for the support she gives me for this story and the help she gives me, just like I thank all of you!**

******But anyway, the reason I write this story is that I want to be a writer later on, and even though I do get compliments from friends and family and teachers, I yearn for more, and this website is a huge start for me. I really appreciate you guys for all the compliments I get, it boosts my mood up and I like knowing that my story is good!**

**Now, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. It's not about the Curtis brothers (sorry, The Curtis Crew!) but about our favorite hood AND for those of you who like the Shepard's, well, you're gonna hear about them! Now I WARN you, I'm not good with writing toughness and I'm not sure if there's enough in this chapter; it's for you to tell me, WITHOUT RUDE COMMENTS, thank you. I honestly think that they're a little OOC. You'll see, and if you don't like it, then deal it it. ;-***

**5 reviews to update, please! I sound demanding and whiny but what do you know, I'm a teen! ;)**

**This chapter is in the Narrator's POV, enjoy! And thank you all for the support!**

XxX

Dallas groaned as sunlight made its way through the window –half-hidden with old, torn blankets—to his closed eyes. He slung an arm over his eyes to protect them from the blinding, early morning light, staying in this position for a minute or two before turning on his side, his back against the window, satisfied with the new position.

He tried finding peaceful sleep for the second time that morning, but a knock at his bedroom door jarred him out of it as quickly as he found it. He growled, wondering who in the blue blazes would bother him in the morning.

"Whaddaya want," he slurred, venom laced in his voice.

His door opened to reveal Tim Shepard leading in a beaten Curly and a frightened Angela. "What the hell," he murmured, watching as Tim dropped Curly on Dally's bed, making Dally roll away, now facing the window, blinding him.

He groaned again, deciding that he wouldn't be left alone to sleep, so he grabbed the nearest shirt he found and put it on. It was a plain white t-shirt with a mud stain on the front, but it would do.

"What's going on?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. However, in his sleepy state, he didn't acknowledge it. He could only stumble up and out of bed to leave more place for Curly.

"Curly got jumped," Tim gruffly answered, taking Curly's shirt off to treat the cuts and bruises. One cut on his chest, deep enough to get stitched, and two bruised ribs. "They were about to take Angel with 'em 'for a little fun', and Curly just happened to stroll by and try to play hero."

He leaned over Angela, who was treating Curly's cut on his forehead, and flipped the boy's ear. "Stupid kid," he muttered under his breath. Angela kept her mouth shut—for once—and taped gauze on Curly's cut.

The boy hissed when Tim poured rubbing alcohol on his deep cut and aimed a punch at his brother's own chest, but Angela caught his arm. "He's takin' care of you; stop being an idiot," she snapped. Curly grumbled but stayed still while Tim stitched his cut, trying as hard as he could not to show pain.

Dallas chuckled at the boy's face. Curly was like a Tim in miniature; not as tough or as strong, he had yet to learn, but he was tough enough.

Ponyboy would never get tough like him, Dallas thought. He wondered if it was a good or a bad thing. Ponyboy, even at fourteen years old, was still an innocent boy who was a little babied by his brothers and always had his head in the clouds. Of course, for a greaser, that wasn't good. If you get tough, you don't get hurt. If you're tough, nothing can touch you. Dallas had learned that at a young age, and he thought that Ponyboy should learn to toughen up too.

But on the other side, Ponyboy was their gang's hope. Dallas didn't consider himself a member of the Curtis gang, nor a member of Shepard's outfit. But he always had a sweet spot for Johnny, and now for Ponyboy, even though he'd never admit it. And having a greaser like Ponyboy by your side was like having hope for the future. Hope that Dallas didn't have but needed, whether he liked to admit it or not.

He made his way out of the room, shaking the thoughts out of his head. Having thought of the kid made him think of how Ponyboy had come close to dying twice in a day.

_Well_, he thought, _Ponyboy has his own toughness._

_Thinking of whom_, he told himself, _I should go see how he is._

XxX

He strolled down the streets, a frown on his elfish face, blue icy eyes glaring at anyone in his way, a purple-ish skin tone surrounding the left one and a cut under the other.

He slammed the Shepard's front door open and closed shut, cussing all the way to the kitchen where the oldest was.

"Damn Socs," he growled. "They're all over town, man. Goddamn sons-of-bitches."

"Don't I know it," Tim muttered, cussing under his breath. "They jump you too?"

"What do you think?" he sarcastically answered. Tim rolled his eyes. "'Cause it sure looks like it."

"Smart-ass," Tim said, staring at Dally's black eye. He had no apparent bruises otherwise. "Didja beat 'em up good?"

"Oh, real good," Dallas answered, proud to brag about his fight. "Got one where the sun don't shine and the other under the shin." Tim rolled his eyes but smirked. "You don't mess with Dallas Winston, man."

"Whatever," Tim said, still smirking. Dallas raised an eyebrow but before he could say another smart-ass comment, Curly came strolling in the room, catching the attention of both older boys.

"Hey Tim, hey Dal," he said, then sat down on one of the chairs.

"What do you want, kid?" Tim asked gruffly.

"Jennings' supposed to come by later, you mind if I go with him?" he asked his older brother. Dallas raised an eyebrow while Tim scoffed.

"You never bothered to ask me before, why start now?"

"Well I don't trust Jennings much and I don't wanna get jumped again if he doesn't show up," Curly answered, as if it was obvious.

"Well, you're a hood and hoods gets jumped," Tim stated matter-of-factly, "so deal with it."

Curly huffed. "Fine, s'not like you fucking care anyway," he said, and he was out the door before both older hoods could blink. Dallas chuckled at the annoyed expression on Tim's face.

"Kid's got an attitude I tell ya," he said.

"I save his sorry ass and he cusses at me," Tim swore, but he didn't mind. His brother wouldn't be Curly Shepard if he didn't cuss at him a little. Of course, having Curly yell that Tim didn't care for him did sting; he cared more than their parents ever will. But that was how it always was in the Shepard house, and they all dealed with it, one way or another.

"But really, these Socs are goin' at it like crazy," Dallas bitterly growled. Tim nodded with a scowl on his face.

"Don't I know it," he said just as bitterly. "They've been cruisin' our neighborhood, jumping all the greasers and hoods they can find. Ever since the quiet kid killed one of 'em, they've gone berserk, man. We gotta watch our backs."

"Yeah well they better watch theirs," Dallas stated. "I feel a rumble brewing. It's coming soon, I feel it in my bones—no pun intended." Tim purposely ignored Dallas' pun, nodding seriously. Oh, a rumble would come, alright.

And the Socs better watch out.


	9. The News

**A/N: Hey guys!**

*****IMPORTANT A/N**

**Ok first off, I'll try to make it brief, but you guys know me by now; my A/N's are always long, especially when it's important. Please read anyway. (You can skip the review replies if you want except for those who like to read them and for the concerned ones.)**

**1) I'm really sorry for not updating much. I'd probably have two other chapters added by now. Thing is, I'm a little busy with the start of the new semester and more theater rehearsals. I'll try to make some time to update at least once a week.**

**2) Thank you so much for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** Sorry for the slow update. I hopw you enjoy the chapter.**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Your review made me laugh! Sadly he is, but "that don't bother me none"! :P Hope you like this chapter.**

**jcksaavedra:**** Thank you so much! I hope you like this one!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** YAAASSSS! :D Thank you!**

**FrankElza:**** I thought your review for chapter 7 made me cry but chapter 8 was worse! Thank you so much, it means a lot for me to know that someone can relate to me! Makes me know that we're not alone in the world even if we think we are. Oh, and you have nothing to apologize for, I don't care how long my reviews are, they're all so important to me! Thank you tons!**

**darrylover4ever (chapter 1):**** Thanks you for the review!**

**Guest (2):**** Wow, thank you! It means a lot for me to get feedback on my future career. I honestly don't see myself as an actual author since if you don't write good books, it doesn't pay off and it seems to me like it's something you can't do as a living, but I'm glad you told me that you would see me as that!**

**So yeah, eight reviews for the last chapter! Thank you! Could you keep it for this chapter too? Seven so I could have fifty? (Though I'll update after five like always.) That would be a huge turn on for me! Knowing that my story is nearing half a hundred reviews is making me psyched!**

**3) Warning: The first part of the chapter is full of medical information. Now, you guys know I'm not good with that (I told you that myself) and I DID do research about what I wanted. I ask NO FLAMES or critical comments about that. If you guys don't believe me, message me and I can send you the links no problem. Hopefully after you read my chapter, you'll think that it makes a little sense. I'm only sixteen years old after all and have no knowledge of that type, at least much less than the people who wrote that information on the Internet.**

**4) Ok ok I know I said I wouldn't make the A/N long, so here's my final note: the chapter is in Sodapop's POV and the text is written in present tense, unlike in the other chapters where it's written in past tense. I can't keep the same mode and it's an issue I'm working on. I hope it doesn't screw the story. Also, my pacing is reaalllllyyyyy sloooooowww, like, not a day has passed in the story so far and it's been eight (now nine) chapters. I hope it doesn't screw the structure of the story too!**

**Ok ok, the A/N is probably longer than the chapter itself. (I apologise for that, it IS short but it's a filler chapter, full with what you've been waiting for during many chapters.) Anyway, read on, and R&R!**

XxX

"...wake up, Soda..."

"Leave m'alone, Dar..."

A chuckle. "Wake up, Little Buddy."

I blinked a few times, squinting at first with the harsh, bright light, but then slowly getting used to it. I stretched, relieving my sore muscles, bumping my hand straight on Darry's chin. I looked up, finding my head on Darry's lap with his hand around my shoulder and the other one stroking my hair. "The doctor's here," he quietly said.

I jumped off of his lap, and, sure enough, the doctor was standing right in front of us.

I was eager to hear the news, but at the same time...not. If Ponyboy wouldn't turn out okay...

"Well, we got the news," Dr. Ross quietly said, "and I must say, they're not really good."

My breath caught in my throat. "Whaddaya mean, 'not really good'?" I asked. "Shouldn't he be doing fine by now? Didn't you tell us he wouldn't lose his memory permanently?"

"Shhh, calm down," Darry said, gripping my shoulder. "Let Dr. Ross speak."

Darry nodded at Dr. Ross, wordlessly telling him to go on. "The tests have shown exactly what I didn't want it to show. Your brother suffers from psychogenic amnesia."

I blinked. "Psycho-what now?" Darry patted my shoulder, as if telling me to shut up and listen. However, I glanced at him, and he also seemed a little confused.

"Psychogenic amnesia," Dr. Ross repeated. "It's a result of severe stress, which your little brother experienced. There are two types of psychogenic amnesia; global and situation-specific. The latter is the one your brother has, which brought him to suffer from post-traumatic sense disorder, PTSD for short. I explained it earlier on the phone, but to put it briefly, in the next few days he could experience flashbacks and he could replay the situation in his nightmares."

"What's the cure of it?" Darry asked, all professional-like. I listened, not able to stutter a word.

"Well," Dr. Ross started, "it would be best to bring him home, mindful of his broken arm and broken leg. I would keep him for another day but it would be better for him to go home.. He's most likely to recover his full memory if he spends time in familiar places and with familiar people. I strongly advise to be patient with him; psychogenic amnesia could last for hours, days, weeks, even months, although _that_ is very rare. And you have to be careful not to let him near a flame or even _see_ one; that could trigger severe flashbacks and his memory loss could get worse."

"If he sees a flame, won't he remember the fire?" I asked. "Then won't he recover his memory?"

"That's the deal," Dr. Ross said. "If he remembers the fire before anything else, then he will get scared and repress his other memories. Psychogenic amnesia also refers to repressed memory syndrome. The victim unconsciously pushes memories of the situation far away in his/her mind, but my hypothesis is that Ponyboy might repress his other memories and not remember anything in his life in years from now."

"Well, what CAN we do?" I asked, getting impatient. This time, Darry didn't scold me; in fact, he seemed lost in thought, probably thinking the situation over.

"My best solution is; come back here during noon to pick Ponyboy up and bring him back home. I'll provide a wheelchair for him to move around easier. Keep him away from fire as much as you can; even the smell of smoke could trigger memories of the fire at the church. Try not to keep him in darkness too long; he might become claustrophobic since he was stuck in a hole for two hours in the dark, unable to get up and hopeless. In due time, if you follow these instructions, he might recover his memory bit by bit."

"A-Alright, thank you, Doctor," Darry said, shaking his hand. I couldn't move to shake Dr. Ross' hands; I was frozen in my spot. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen in my baby brother's mind more than it already has, and the doctor pretty much told us that the chances were 50, 50, even if he didn't voice it.

"C'mon Pepsi, let's go home," Darry soothingly whispered, ushering me along to the car where I'd get yet another sleepless night.

XxX

My prediction came half true.

I slept, but not enough so that I was actually rested. I was anxious and Darry felt it, but he didn't say anything. He was probably just as anxious as I was.

When I fully woke up, I looked at my alarm clock and read nine o'clock. I slept more than I thought I would, though I was still tired. I let out a yawn as if to prove my point.

I rubbed my eyes just as Darry peeked in mine and Pony's room. I blinked a couple of times to clear my vision and saw him slightly smiling. It was foreign to me; Darry rarely smiled. He'd sometimes grin when I would tease him, and he'd laugh when we would tickle Ponyboy, but otherwise, he rarely showed a smile.

And it felt good when he did. It felt comforting and affectionate.

"Hey, Soda," he tiredly said. In his state, he reminded me of his teenage years; in the rare mornings that he would sleep in, and would wake up sounding tired. Then, Pony and I would throw ourselves at him to wake him up and he would wrestle us and tickle us. It always ended up being Ponyboy on the ground, laughing with tears in his eyes as Darry held him and I tickled his soles.

I missed those times.

Somehow, Darry read my mind. He sat down next to me and pulled me into a one-arm hug. "You're missing him, uh?" he softly asked.

I nodded. I wanted the old Ponyboy back. The kid he was before Darry hit him, before all this mess happened. The Ponyboy we knew before he lost part of his innocence, that night. 'Cause now, he might never remember those memories he used to cherish just as much as I do, and even if he does remember everything, he'll never be the same.


	10. The Return

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**WOW! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm now up to more than half a hundred and I'm really happy! I'm also happy that you guys understand the fact that I'm a little busy. I swear I'm trying hard to update as fast as I can!**

**To reply to my reviews:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Only in 7th grade? *~le gasp* I wish I coulda read the Outsiders back then! I read it last year in 10th grade...I'm very thankful though! And you'll have plenty of time to write your own fanfics! Hopefully in a few years from now I'll read a popular fanfic and it will be written by you! ;) And I'm thankful for your review, too! Thank you!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you!**

**Jessieklove:**** Here's your update, hope you enjoy!**

**FrankElza:**** The feedback is honestly no problem, thank you so much for reviewing in EVERY chapter too, it's real nice of you! :)**

**ArisNightfall14 (2):**** Thank you so much for the reviews, it was really sweet of you! I'm actually working on the detailing and emotions and I'm glad to know that you like them...**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Thank you! Here's, ~Ze moment, you've probably been waiting for!**

**BunnyluvsU:**** I'm glad to know you like my story so much! :P**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you! Here you go!**

**Well, that clears it! I don't think I have to precise the number of reviews I want for the next chapter by now...Thank you so much! You know, my teacher gave me a perfect grade on my diagnostic essay because he was "captivated by my words", he told me! It really felt good to know that a person in real life actually liked my writing other than people on this site, and I'm pretty much certain I want to become an author in the future! **

**So, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews, thanks to you I have inspiration and I know that I might get successful later on with writing my own books! Even though Fanfiction is different from the real life, it doesn't matter to me, Fanfiction does help and I love you all!**

**Now, this chapter is in the Narrator's POV. It isn't long but it's longer than the last one and it's a cute brotherly moment! Hopefully it's not too much! Enjoy!**

XxX

Ponyboy stared at the clock, thinking about his stay in the hospital.

He didn't remember the reason he was brought there in the first place, or when he ended up there, but he did remember the diagnosis and the tests.

The doctor had told him that he was suffering from psychogenic amnesia, and while he had no idea what psychogenic meant, he did get a clue. In simpler terms, he didn't remember anything because of a stressful event—which he still didn't know what it was—, but he would most likely remember the other aspects of his life soon enough, like his friends, family, habits and such.

_I don't even remember my own brothers_, he thought sadly. _They're familiar but I can't figure out anything. And I'm making them sad because of that._

He sighed, having not noticed that he wasn't alone. In fact, hid nurse was just walking in his room when he sighed. She didn't catch him by surprise since he was used to loud noises and she was usually quiet.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asked. She was the only nurse he'd let call him that; he hated the others. They pushed him to heal faster and he didn't like that. He liked taking his time, and this nurse, Nurse Bridget, was very understanding of that.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I guess," he quietly answered.

Nurse Bridget scooted closer, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Now now," she started softly, "I know that face. What's the matter, hun?"

Ponyboy didn't want to talk, but he found the words flowing out of his mouth anyway. "I just…I feel useless, I mean…I-I don't remember anything, I can't remember my own brothers, I don't know who my parents are…they didn't even come yet." Suddenly it dawned on him that his parents hadn't visited him yet. "D-Do they even care?" he asked with a whimper, cursing himself for sounding so young, but he didn't care about that.

"Oh honey, of course they did," Nurse Bridget said, pulling him to her chest to hug him carefully. He hugged her back with his uninjured arm, feeling safe and loved. In a way, she had been like a mother to him during his stay in the hospital. She made sure she was the one who checked on him when he woke up and she made him feel useful. He felt useless for having lost his memory and not being able to recall his brothers, but she reassured him that he wasn't worthless and that he would recover his memory soon.

Suddenly she looked at the door, hearing something that he didn't. "I think you have visitors, honey," she stated, smiling. "I think your brothers are here to bring you home." At his face, her smile faded. "Are you ready to go?"

He shook his head. "I-I don't feel comfortable going in a house to live with people I can't remember…"

She hugged him again, rubbing his back tenderly. "Oh, sweetie, anything is going to be better than the hospital, trust me," she soothed. "Plus, don't you want to remember your family and friends and past memories?"

He nodded against her shoulder. Of course he wanted to, he just didn't feel like he was ready to sleep in a bedroom he didn't remember, in a _house_ he didn't remember, with people he couldn't recall.

As if hearing his thoughts, Nurse Bridget patted his shoulder affectionately. "You're going to be just fine." She just had the time to stand and grab her clipboard when Ponyboy's brothers walked in.

"Hey Ponyboy," Sodapop said with a grin. Ponyboy couldn't help but think that Sodapop was really handsome with his grin. He was willing to bet that Nurse Bridget found him good-looking too. If she did, she didn't show it; Pony glanced at her and marked that her cheeks weren't red, so she was in the clear.

"Hey Soda," he said, shivering as he did so. It felt weird to call him that, but it was a good feeling. It felt like something he used to do, and he loved the feeling.

Sodapop noticed his shiver. "You cold?" he asked. Ponyboy hadn't really paid attention to the temperature, but now that he mentioned it, it _was_ a little freezing in the room. Of course, Pony was only wearing a hospital gown, but it was sunny outside and the sunrays penetrated through the window blinds and hit him.

He nodded without really thinking about it, and Sodapop smiled. "Don't worry, we brought you your clothes. You'll be much more comfortable in them, and hotter, too." He grabbed the bundle in Darry's arms, which consisted of socks, underwear—Ponyboy blushed but didn't say anything—, a pair of sweats, a green tee-shirt and a faded purple sweater. Sodapop didn't bring sneakers but Pony knew that his pair was right by his bed.

"Thanks," he said, stretching his arm to grab the bundle. Sodapop put it next to him and walked by him.

"You might need help getting up and putting on your sweats and shirt," he stated, and only then did Ponyboy remember the familiar weight of the casts on his arm and leg.

He blushed, finding it awkward for his brother to dress him up when he didn't even remember him, but he let Sodapop help him with his underwear first, then his socks, then his sweats and then his shirt. "Thanks," he softly said, watching as Sodapop smiled tenderly at him. He found that he smiled back, Sodapop's smile having comforted him. Sodapop seemed like a loving person and a caring brother, which immensely reassured Ponyboy that everything could get better with his help.

Another nurse came in the room, wheeling in a wheelchair. She motioned for Ponyboy to sit down on it, making the boy scowl and the nurse sigh in exasperation.

"It's hospital policy, dear," Nurse Bridget told him apologetically, sending the other nurse off with a stern stare, who backed up but stayed. He reluctantly sat in the chair and stared at his brothers. Darry bit his lip.

"Do you...want me to wheel you out, Pony?" he offered, to which Ponyboy quickly agreed. He didn't want to deal with the nurse, who huffed and left, leaving Nurse Bridget to "supervise" Darry and Sodapop and keep them from wheeling Ponyboy too fast or too harshly, which of course they wouldn't do.

Darry smiled down at his baby brother and stepped behind the wheelchair, grabbing the handles and slowly wheeling Ponyboy to the desk. He had signed the papers on his way to Pony's room; he'd drop them at the desk and wheel Ponyboy to the truck, where Sodapop had already gone to start it and keep the door opened.

"This will be Ponyboy's wheelchair until he gets the cast on his arm taken off," Nurse Bridget told Darry, who nodded. She turned and smiled at Ponyboy. "You take care of yourself, honey, you hear me? If need be, I'll do home check-ups for free."

Ponyboy nodded while Darry gratefully smiled. "That would be nice of you."

She shook Darry's hand. "Goodbye." She patted Ponyboy's shoulder gently. "Take car." She walked away in one direction, while Darry wheeled Ponyboy in the other, out of the hospital.

Ponyboy didn't pause when he saw the truck, nor did he say anything regarding it. He just stood up a little too quickly, getting dizzy for a second but managing to keep steady with his brothers' help. Sodapop helped him in the truck and hopped in after him. Darry folded the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Then, he hopped in the driver's seat, sandwiching Ponyboy between him and Sodapop, though the youngest brother didn't seem to mind.

They drove off, wanting more than anything to go home. The three of them.


	11. The Hood And The Letter

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**WOW! I-I don't know what to say! 14 reviews for the last chapter! That's amazing! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove: Well, it's not necessarely concern, but I hope this will do! ;) Thank you for the review!**

**The Curtis Crew: Here you go! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Seth Clearwater:**** Thank you for the review!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you for the review, it was really sweet! :)**

**ArisNightfall14:**** Thank you for the compliment, it's really nice of you! And thank you for the review!**

**WatchRain4898:**** I don't know what to say, your review is soooo sweet and I loved it! I wish you could enable private messaging so I could reply with a long paragraph of how thankful I am, but I'll try to make this short and sweet. First off, I'm really glad to know that the story captivated you! I honestly didn't think of how I nailed the characters, some authors are just naturals at this, and I'm glad that you think I did! It's really cool that you dressed as the Outsiders for Halloween, that's probably what I'll do next year with a couple of friends! I honestly don't know how I came up with this; either in the shower or in bed while I'm trying to sleep but I'm thinking of too many things. I have the damnest ideas sometimes and this one worked a lot, I guess! As for the characters' personalities, I guess it comes from reading a lot of fanfiction before actually writing one! *Breathes in* Sorry for the long reply! Thank you so much for the long review, it was highly appreciated!**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Thank you for the review!**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** You're not the only one who told me this. :P It's great that you think so! As for the constructive critism, it's alright, I still appreciate that you took the time to review and that you like my fanfic! Enjoy this chapter!**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you!**

**And thank you for the five guests that took their time at reviewing! I wish that you guys could log in so I would have a penname to add to my thanks! :)**

**Okay, so I think this settles it for the reviews.**

**The next update will come sometime in the week or next weekend. It's the last week before our March Break and exams are flowing like crazy! I've also had a lot of presentations this past week and yesterday I wrote half the chapter, but I was too tired to finish it. Bear with me if you think that the first part looks lazily written compared to the rest.**

**Now, something important about this chapter. It will be in the Narrator's POV as well (I'm trying to keep it that way for a good part of the story) and will start off when Dally stormed out of the hospital, and then it will pick up where I left off in the previous chapter, and then back to Dallas. I hope it doesn't cause any confusion or problems.**

**Another thing: I will start picking up the pace now that Ponyboy is back home. Only one day has passed in eleven chapters but now that the biggest part (for now) is done, the pacing will be a little faster.**

*****PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PROFILE***I have a couple of story ideas that I wrote but never finished really but I'll work on them as soon as Early Fire will be showing signs of finishing! I have no idea how I'll finish it yet, I'm just letting it go with the flow, but I have other stories that you might think are interesting, so look them up and message me about them, please! Thank you!**

**Ayway, Read and Review, and enjoy!**

XxX

"Buck, gimme another beer."

Dallas Winston drummed his fingers on the cold counter as he waited for his even colder drink, glancing at the strippers. One particularly caught his icy blue eyes; blonde, bright blue eyes, slim and lean. Man, he thought, I wonder if she can strip this well in bed too.

"Hey, Winston!"

Dallas glared as he heard a familiar voice. He turned around on his seat and stared at the more familiar hood. "Whaddaya want, Shepard?" he muttered.

"You gonna visit the kid tomorrow," Tim asked carelessly. "I wanna know what those Socs did to him."

"I'll probably check on the brat," Dallas answered unemotionally, though Tim could still hear a hint of concern for the youngest greaser in the neighborhood. If Ponyboy Curtis could be considered a greaser, that is. "And it wasn't the Socs. It was that damn fire."

"In which the Socs drew him to," Tim snorted.

"Whatever," Dallas mumbled. "I'll wait 'till he gets out of the hospital and I'll hang out at the Curtis house or somethin'. I hate those damn places."

"So I heard," Tim retorted, the corner of his lip quirking in a smirk. He had heard all about Dallas' 'breakdown' at the hospital when he learned about Johnny's arrest and the fire at the church, and then he had heard of Dallas visiting Johnny in jail. In fact, the New York hood was just coming back from the cooler. He wasn't wasted, though; he was probably at his second beer, or third, but he didn't show signs of being drunk. Tim knew from experience that getting drunk to forget wasn't the best solution to a problem.

"You done now?" Dallas asked in a bored drawl, mostly used for cops or other authority figures.

"Yeah, yeah," Tim answered just as lazily. "I'll leave you alone ya bastard. I'll give the queen her 'beauty sleep'."

"You ain't gonna be such a beauty when I'm through with you, Shepard," Dallas said, though not seriously. It would sound like teasing, but the hood wouldn't admit to it. Teasing was for sissies and guys in couples. He wasn't either of them.

"Like you can beat me, Winston," Tim provoked.

"Like hell I can," Dallas shot back, getting up from his seat.

"Excuse me," a feminine voice purred, and then the same blonde Dallas was eyeing earlier pushed through both hoods and sat down on the seat next to them. Dallas smirked, his previous mood forgotten.

"You got nothing to be sorry for," he murmured in her ear, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer, her back pressed against his chest. She smirked and turned around pushing him slightly and getting up from her seat, dropping her lipstick 'on purpose', bending in front of him while staring wildly at him. He winked at Tim, who rolled his eyes but sauntered away, and after drinking his beer, he led her to his room.

XxX

Ponyboy refused to open his eyes until the car would be completely immobile, which would mean that he would be in 'his house'. For some reason, he felt scared, but he reminded himself that he wouldn't be afraid.

Sodapop, of course, easily noticed his brother's struggle, even with closed eyes, and wrapped an arm around him, mindful of his arm. Ponyboy stiffened, which tore at Sodapop's heart, but he gradually relaxed, reminding himself that it was his brother holding him and it was normal. As it was supposed to.

Darry parked the truck next to the house on his usual spot slowly and made sure that Ponyboy could hear the signs of a stopping engine. After a few seconds, his baby brother did, and he slowly opened his greenish-gray orbs.

The first thing he noticed was the white, run-down looking house. Sodapop cautiously unwrapped his arm from around his baby brother's shoulder and opened the truck door, wordlessly slipping out. Ponyboy noticed Soda's movement and followed him out the truck, holding his hand for support as he cautiously hopped out on his uninjured foot. Darry followed suit moments after, quickly unfolding the wheelchair and setting it down on the ground next to Ponyboy. Both he and Sodapop helped their youngest brother settle down in the chair.

"Welcome back home, Ponyboy," Darry softly said. Ponyboy didn't say anything, instead letting himself get wheeled by Sodapop toward the house. Darry was about to follow them in when he noticed that there was something in the mailbox. "Why don't you explore the house with Sodapop while I check the mail real quick, uh?"

Ponyboy stared at him. "I can do that," he said, and Sodapop slightly smiled at his baby brother before wheeling him in the house to 'explore'.

Darry watched his younger brothers get in before making his way to the mailbox. He quickly looked the envelopes up; bill, bill, letter, bill...

Wait, Darry thought, letter? He left the bills in the mailbox and grabbed the letter, looking at it closely. The return address was the address for the prison.

_Johnny__._

He caught Soda's eye in the living room window. Soda had been watching Ponyboy look at the pictures on the wall but when he had looked over at Darry, he noticed his older brother's discomfort.

"Hey, Ponyboy," he carefully said so he wouldn't scare his brother. Ponyboy stared at him. "I'll be right back, okay? I just gotta tell Darry something, and then I can show you the rest of the house, okay?" Ponyboy nodded, not the least wondering what it was about, watching as Sodapop walked outside toward the mailbox.

"What is it?" Sodapop asked once he reached Darry. Darry wordlessly showed him the letter. Soda paled, realising the same thing Darry did moments before.

"We can't let him see it," Darry stated, "or else he might remember the murder and the fire. He still doesn't remember that and I think it's best he doesn't at all, at least for a while."

Sodapop nodded his agreement. "I still wanna read the letter though, see how Johnny's doing." Darry nodded as well.

"Not right now, though. Let's get Ponyboy settled in and when he'll go to sleep, we can read it."

It was decided by both brothers that Ponyboy wouldn't know about Johnny yet, and that they would be the ones who would talk to the locked up gang member.

When they walked in the house, they saw that Ponyboy had somehow wheeled himself by the piano, looking on the verge of collapsing, obviously tired by the effort he did for a simple task. Sodapop eyed him warily while Darry put his hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, Ponyboy?"

Ponyboy nodded. "Is it...Is it okay if I lie down? I'm not feeling good," he mumbled. Darry put the palm of his hand on Ponyboy's forehead, ignoring the flinch, and shook his head.

"You don't have a fever, but just to make sure that you won't develop one, I think it'll be better if you rest for a bit. Then we can do stuff together for your memory. How does that sound?"

Ponyboy nodded, smiling at his big brothers. "Okay," he said, and then he looked at Sodapo, wordlessly asking him to show him his room. Sodapop wheeled him to his own room, and the sound of a curse resonated through the walls.

"Everything okay, Soda?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah yeah," Sodapop called back. "The room is just messy; we'll have to clean it to give space for Pony wo move around in his wheelchair." Moments later, Sodapop walked out and sat down on the kitchen table, followed by Darry.

"Why don't we open up that letter, uh?" Sodapop said, still a little frustrated from the mess in his room, and Darry realised that it was in fact the perfect moment to read the letter. He cut the envelop and took the letter, reading it aloud but carefully so Ponyboy wouldn't overhear.

_"__Dear Ponyboy,_

_Glory, I sure hope everything's alright at the hospital. It was quite a hit you took there. I can't wait to get news from you._

_The cooler sucks. I hate it here. The only cop who took me seriously was the one who arrested me. He said that you and I could change the vision of the world, that money isn't as important as it is, and that Greasers are humans and Socs are humans and both should be treated equally. He was a really cool guy, and he's basically the only thing I like here._

_The other cops are giving me hell, just like the other prisoners. It's a good thing I'm in a separate cell, otherwise I'd hate it even more._

_I miss you and I miss the gang a lot. Dally visited me earlier and when he left he was real shook up. Watch him for me, will you? As much as I want him to be in jail with me so I won't be alone, I don't want him to do anything stupid._

_But the first thing I want you to do is take care of yourself before anything else and get better, got it? I hope you visit me soon._

_Your buddy,_

_Johnny._

Both brothers stared at each other. The poor kid had to go through an experience as traumatising as Ponyboy's. Johnny Cade could never hurt a fly even if it was already dead, and he was in jail for murder.

Just then, the door slammed shut, followed by a familiar call of; "Heelllloooooo, Curtis'!"

Sodapop sprung from his seat and then the general ruckus of a wrestling match was heard. "Shut up, you stupid bum," Soda gasped between trying to pin his friend and win the match. "Ponyboy's sleeping!" Finally he surrendered when Two-Bit had him pinned.

"We went to the hospital," Steve started, annoyed. "You coulda told us that he wasn't there anymore."

Two-Bit laughed. "The nurse at the desk looked at him as if he was crazy and almost called a doctor on him!"

Darry didn't find the situation half as funny as Two-Bit did, but he smiled when Sodapop started laughing and Steve playfully decked him.

"We got here about then minutes ago. Poker?" Darry suggested. Normally he wouldn't take par of those card games, especially with three cheaters, but he wanted to keep his mind off of things such as Ponyboy. His baby brother would eventually be alright, he was sure of it.

He couldn't wait for that moment to come.

XxX

"So," Tim started. "Heard that the kid was out of the hospital."

"You coulda told me earlier," Dallas scowled. "I wouldn't have had to deck those sons-of-bitches on my way to the damn hospital." _Not that I minded_, Dallas mentally added. _They deserved a good beating, and that's what they got for messing with me._

"Stop complaining," Tim shot at him. "You would've met those jerks later anyway, so might as well beat the crap outta them now."

Dallas smirked. "Serves them right." Then he looked outside. "Think I'll make my way over to the Curtis house," he stated. "Wanna come? You oughta talk to Darry 'bout the rumble."

Tim shrugged. "Might as well."

And with that said, both hoods made their way over to the Curtis house, glaring at any Soc who dared to jump the most dangerous hoods in Tulsa.

XxX

**A/N: I know I rarely put Author's Notes at the end of my chapters, but this one is important.**

**I hope none of you are confused right now. If you are, then I'll explain.**

**The thing is that in chapter 8, the Shepards chapter, I started in the morning when Dallas woke up and therefore, when Ponyboy's brothers picked him up from the hospital. Dallas didn't know that they were home so he went to the hospital but he got jumped on his way there, so he went back to Shepard's house. Meanwhile, the Curtis brothers are back home. For those of you who caught on to it, congrats! For those of you who didn't, I hope this explanation is enough!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and until the next update, Stay Gold xxx**

**-Shattered Aura**


	12. The Social Worker

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Chapter 12 is here! The chapters that I changed/added something were: 7, 9, 10 and 11, so read them before reading this one, thank you!**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove:**** It'll come soon! Meanwhile, I hopeyou enjoy this chapter! **

**Zarak:**** :)**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** You'll have to read to find out. ;)**

**mycookiegirl:**** Aww, don't worry! I'm glad that you still reviewed! Your review is really nice! I was hoping someone would react to Dallas' thoughts, haha! Thank you so much for your compliment, I'm glad to know that someone likes my stories so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Stay Gold xxx**

**WatchRain4898:**** Thank you for the review! It was really nice of you! I'm glad you caught on! ;)**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Alright, here it is!**

**FrankElza:**** Thank you for the feedback, it's highly appreciated! :)**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Omg, thank you so much for the review, it means a lot to me! Btw I love your penname, I'm a greaser girl by heart...3**

**ArisNightfall14:**** Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter! :)**

**And for the three reviews that will probably get deleted since I will delete the A/N...:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend****,** **The Curtis Crew**** and** **WatchRain4898:**** I hope you won't be disappointed with this chapter! ;)**

**That settles it! Only 22 reviews to go to reach 100! Think you guys can do this in two chapters? I love y'all!**

**The chapter is in the Narrator's POV again! I'll notify you when it'll be changed, but I'm trying to keep it this way for now! I decided to post it today since I don't have school and I'll have some time to write the next chapter and finish it to post it this weekend! Meanwhile, enjoy this chapter, and R & R!**

XxX

The knock at the door was unexpected. Darry and Sodapop both looked at each other while Two-Bit and Steve shot them worried glances. Finally Darry got up from his seat on the couch and cautiously made his way to the door, where he was greeted by their social worker.

"Hello, Darrel," Patti Henson greeted. She was the Curtis' social worker ever since their parents died. "May I?"

Darry stepped aside, giving her enough space to walk in. Not that she needed much space—she was pretty slim—but it was mostly out of respect. After all, she was the one who decided the Curtis' future.

"Hello, Sodapop," Patti greeted at the teenager. Sodapop smiled at her, although it was a weak attempt.

"Hi, Mrs. Henson," he greeted back. Steve inwardly winced. He was NOT used to this side of his friend. But, because she was an important woman in his best friend's life—and not for the best of reasons—he didn't say anything about it. Two-Bit, for once, kept his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry for the early visit," she started. "You see, a couple of, ah, circumstances, brought me here today." Soda visibly shook. He and Darry knew exactly what circumstances she was talking about. "I would like to discuss them with the two of you."

Steve took the hint before Two-Bit did. He subtly elbowed his friend. "We're gonna go for a walk," he said before getting up, taking his jacket even though it wasn't really cold outside. Two-Bit followed suit, leaving both older Curtis brothers with their social worker.

"Alright," Mrs. Henson muttered to herself. "So. Today I came to talk about Ponyboy's condition. He has recently been checked in and out of the hospital for..." she flipped through the pages of her folder and pulled one out, "...and I quote: 'Trapped in a burning church and memory loss.' Am I correct?"

Darry fought hard to keep his cool, but deep down inside, he was afraid that she might take Ponyboy and even Sodapop away from her custody. Mrs. Henson was a decent woman and often stood by their side, but if she judged that Ponyboy wasn't safe with him, and then she would take him away. And he didn't want that to happen.

"Yes, correct."

"What exactly did happen for Ponyboy to find himself in a church about three hours away with a murderer?"

Darry started to get mad. He was mad enough to ignore his shock that she knew about Johnny. Johnny didn't deserve to be called a murderer when he in fact saved his baby brother's life, twice. "Mrs. Henson, I don't want to be impolite, but Johnny is far from being the murderer that people think he is. He saved Ponyboy's life twice. I owe him so much."

If Patti was impressed, she hid it well. "I understand that, Darrel," she started, "but right now, Johnny Cade isn't in my case. The concerned is Ponyboy. Tell me what happened."

"Well, he went to the movies Saturday night with Johnny," Darry explained. "He came back at two in the morning, claiming that he fell asleep in the lot. We got into an argument and he took off."

"Did you hurt him in any way, verbally or physically to lead him to run away?"

Darry shook his head. He _had_ hit Ponyboy, but he would never admit to the social services that he did. "I would never hurt him intentionally."

Patti stared at him. "But you _did_ hurt him, am I correct?"

Darry bowed his head. "Sodapop was trying to defend him. I yelled at Soda and Ponyboy yelled at me not to, so I..." He breathed in deeply. "So I wheeled around and slapped him. I was so worried for him...and it turned into anger. And then to guilt."

"And why didn't you tell me?" Patti said, but she didn't sound mad. Her voice had a tint of sympathy. She had handled many cases of abuse and she knew that Darrel wasn't an abuser.

"I don't want you to take Ponyboy away...he's recovering and he needs us to help recover his memory. I swear I don't even drink or smoke and I don't abuse my brothers, I would never dare to thinkto hit Ponyboy again."

"What happened next?" she asked, having nothing to say to his claim. She already knew he didn't mean it.

He looked at her again. "From what I know, he ran to Johnny, who was still in the lot, and they both ran to the park. They had a run-in at the movies with a group of rich kids, and that same group cornered them in the park. They tried to...drown Ponyboy, and Johnny killed their leader to protect him. That's where they ran away to the church..."

"How did they know where the church was?" Patti asked, suspicious. She suspected that someone else told Johnny Cade and Ponyboy where the church was, and they certainly didn't have money with them at that time either.

"I honestly have no idea, Mrs. Henson," Darry truthfully said. Patti believed him. "All I know is that I get a call in the afternoon from Johnny himself that the church they hid in caught on fire and Ponyboy was trapped in it. Next thing I know, he lost his memory from that fire because it had been a stressful and traumatic experience for him to live through."

"Please," Sodapop begged, talking for the first time. "He needs to stay here. He'll never get his memory back and I'll never forgive myself if he doesn't remember us."

She cocked an eyebrow professionally, if possible. "How would it be your fault?"

"I should've run after him," Soda explained with overwhelming guilt in his voice and in his eyes. "I should've followed him out the door. Maybe he would still be mad at Darry to this day, but he'd be healthy and he would know who I am. I...," he sniffed, tears forming in his chocolate brown eyes, "I won't be able to take it if you take him away from us."

Patti stood up, glancing around and in the direction of Ponyboy's room. "Is he in there?"

Darry stood up as well. "Yes, but he's asleep. Please don't wake him up, he'll just panic and his condition will get worse."

Patti nodded, grabbing her sheets and tucking them back in her folder, then picking it up in her arms. "Well, I don't see any good reason to take your brother away," she said. "I do what's best for the children, and it is in Ponyboy's best interest that he stays with his brothers throughout his recovery." She halted Sodapop as he was about to jump in joy. "IF, however, something else happens, I will have to revaluate the case and take him into the State's custody. Is that clear?"

Darry shook her hand. "It's perfectly clear. We'll take good care of him, Mrs. Henson. Thank you."

"You always did, Darrel," she said with a small smile. "See as it stays this way." With that said, she walked out, soundlessly closing the door behind her. Seconds later, the only things heard in the house were the faint sound of an engine and Sodapop's crying.

XxX

They didn't stop walking until they ended up at the Dingo.

Two-Bit followed Steve inside and having nothing to do, decided to order something to eat. He hadn't eaten anything in the morning, having been too focused on his headache to care about food.

"You think the Curtis' will get separated?" he asked between bites. Steve glared at him

"They have no reason to. Kid's fine where he is."

"Yeah, but..."

"Two-Bit, do me a favor and shut up, for once," Steve interrupted coldly. "Kid's gonna stay with Darry, and that's that. He has to."

Two-Bit shrugged just as the waitress gave him his food. ."Is there anything else?" she asked sweetly.

"How 'bout your number, babe," Two-Bit said, winking. The blonde girl—of course—rolled her eyes and left the table, with Two-Bit staring at her with a smirk and Steve rolling his eyes as well but smiling at his friend's attempts.

He looked outside and spotted the social worker's car as it drove by the Dingo and sped away. It was too far away to tell if Ponyboy was inside, but he swore she was alone. "Hurry up, ya bum. We have to go back to the Curtis'.

Two-Bit wolfed down the rest of his meal and drank his beer in a hurry, almost choking. Steve sighed in exasperation and got up, making his way to the door. "If you choke just 'cause of me, well I don't know you."

Two-Bit doubled over and coughed twice before gulping down his bite. "Well, you told me to hurry up, so I hurried up," he retorted in a strained voice, coughing again until his throat felt better. Then he followed Steve outside and both boys made their way to the Curtis house.

"Look what we have here," a familiar voice said. Steve and Two-Bit turned around and saw none other than Dallas, accompanied by the Shepard leader.

"Hey Dallas," Steve coolly said. "Shepard." Two-Bit nodded as well.

"Where ya bums headed to?" Dallas casually asked.

"Going to the Curtis house," Two-Bit answered. "Gonna see if the kid's still there."

"Whaddaya mean, "If the kid's still there"?" Dallas asked. "Didn't he leave the hospital earlier this afternoon?"

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, and we were there before, but their social worker came and we had to leave them alone."

Dallas cursed, his curses rivaling with a sailor's. "That stupid bitch," he hissed. He knew about the Curtis' social worker, and while she was fair to them, to Dallas she was still a bitch. Why couldn't she take care of cases that actually had abuse in it, instead of threatening people who were perfectly fine?

Tim narrowed his eyes. "If she takes 'em away, I'll make sure my boys deal with her afterward."

Steve frowned. "She'll suspect it'll have to do with Darry's custody and it won't help 'em. Let Darry deal with her."

Tim shrugged. "Whatever." He looked at where they were. They had been walking while talking, and they were near the Curtis house. "Wanna come in with us?" Two-Bit asked the two hoods.

Tim shrugged again. "Why not. I got nothing better to do anyway."

When they reached the Curtis house, they heard whispering and crying. Steve and Two-Bit feared the worst, while Dallas and Tim glared at the door. Steve opened it to find that Darry was hugging Sodapop, who was crying.

"Soda!" Steve said, plopping down on the couch and putting his hand on Soda's shoulder. "Did she take him? I swear I'll pound her if she did!" Tim cocked an eyebrow at that. Moments ago, Steve told him to let Darry deal with Patti Henson, and then he was all for beating her head in. Still, part of him knew that he was just saying that to make Soda feel better.

"No," Soda said, "he's staying with us!" He smiled through his tears. Darry hadn't cried but hugged him fiercely.

Steve smiled at his best friend while Two-Bit grinned.

Ponyboy was staying with them after all. And he would stay for good.


	13. The Visits (2)

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Sorry about the wait. I'm currently fighting a demon called "Writer's Block". I don't know shit of what to do with my next chapter, or where it's going now that the action is pretty much done for now...I'm currently getting energy back from two rough weeks so I can beat this demon's ass.**

**Thank you for the reviews! Here are my replies:**

**Jessieklove: I hope this satisfies you! Thank you!**

**Seth Clearwater: Glad you did!**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank YOU so much for the review, I'm glad someone thinks this way!**

**tmntlover2013: Hope you enjoy!**

**FrankElza: Thank you for the feedback, it's highly appreciated! :) xx**

**mycookiegirl: Thank you for your review! Your reviews truly warm my heart, I like how you also justify what you like about the chapter! & No, no one touches Johnny! *Hugs Johnny* Well except me... Lol, I guess I should let you hug him too since you're also protective of him! ;) Anyway, enjoy this chapter! And I'm glad you're getting better! :)**

**BunnyluvsU: Here it is, I hope you like it!**

**Guest (2): Here is the chapter! Please enjoy and thank you for reviewing! & Please login if you can so I can have a penname to thank you with. :)**

**Well, that about settles it for my replies! I'm 13 reviews away from having 100 and I'm very excited! Think you can bring me there with this chapter? I would be extremely thankful! Well, I already am, but I would be even more!**

**Note: I'm on my Spring Break and I have the week off, so I'll try to give you two chapters this week instead of one! & You'll have a little surprise at the end of the chapter. I figured you waited long enough...**

**Note 2: I'm currently working on a three-shot that I will start posting as soon as it's done, and I'm also working on another, hopefully big story, called The Eye of the Tiger. Check it out on my profile, I have all my ideas stocked on there for possible-future stories and TEOFT might be the next after Early Fire! & The three-shot is a collab with FrankElza since she's been giving me awesome feedback and I figured, why not work on something with her? I promise you guys won't be disappointed! **

**'Till then, R & R and enjoy this story!**

XxX

"So," Dallas casually said once Sodapop had calmed down. "Didja get any news on Johnny?"

Darry sadly smiled. "We didn't, but he wrote to Ponyboy. He doesn't know about the amnesia."

Sodapop shot him a look while Dallas gaped and he narrowed his eyes. "Amnesia? He lost his fucking memory?"

Darry had completely forgotten that Dallas didn't know about Ponyboy's condition. He knows now, Darry thought. "Yeah, apparently it's from the trauma of being stuck inside a burning church in a small hole with no light. It caused him temporary memory loss."

"Well ain't that fucking fantastic," Dallas spat. "How's he gonna testify for Johnny if he doesn't remember the murder?"

"What murder?" a small voice asked from the hallway. The group turned and spotted Ponyboy, obviously having trouble standing on his uninjured leg with barely enough support from his uninjured arm. Sodapop paled but nonetheless rushed over to help his brother, slinging an arm around his shoulder, mindful of his casts. Tim and Dallas shot each other looks.

"Something that happened while I was in New York," Dallas quickly lied. Darry shot him a thankful glance, in which Dally subtly replied with a small shifting of his position.

"You've been in New York before?" Ponyboy asked innocently. "Where is that?" Then, he looked at the ceiling, seeming thoughtful, before staring back at Dallas. "Who are you?"

"Name's Dallas Winston," Dallas answered casually, not even annoyed of telling his name to someone who already knew it but couldn't remember it.

Ponyboy looked up at the ceiling again for a couple of seconds before shrugging. "I don't know you," he concluded. The look on his face when he looked back at Dallas was one of overwhelming sadness. "Should I?"

Dallas inwardly cringed. The kid's in a poor state, he thought. "Yeah, kid, you should," he answered, not liking how soft his voice came out but not caring about it. "It's okay."

Ponyboy just simply nodded. Then he tried to take a step forward, but he winced. "Hey, easy Ponyboy," Sodapop gently scolded. "You should be resting in bed right now."

"I'm hungry," he flatly said.

"Do you want some soup?" Sodapop asked. Again, Ponyboy nodded.

"Alright, but you need to sit down," Darry said, pointing at the couch. Two-Bit and Steve, who had both been sitting on it, took the hint and fetched a pillow and a blanket from the closet while Sodapop guided Ponyboy to the couch. When Ponyboy finally sat down, he was clearly exhausted and in pain.

"Do you need your pain meds, honey?" Sodapop softly asked as he saw Ponyboy wince. Ponyboy nodded, and moments later Sodapop was back with his pain meds and a glass of water to chug them down. Ponyboy swallowed them and drank the water, then gave the glass to Sodapop and lied down on the couch. Darry covered him with the blanket and fetched another pillow to keep his foot elevated.

Ponyboy fell asleep before the soup was done. "Save him a bowl," Darry told Sodapop. "He'll have it for later." Sodapop simply nodded and did as he was told.

"Well, I should get going," Two-Bit said. "I'll be back later." He waved at the group and walked outside. Steve followed shortly after, claiming he needed to get more work. That left the Curtis brothers and the two hoods.

Dallas glanced at Ponyboy's sleeping form. He looks so young, Dallas thought, too young to be in this mess. "I oughta kill those bastards for what they did to Ponyboy and Johnny."

"It won't solve a thing," Darry reluctantly said. "We'll settle it in a rumble."

Dallas slammed his fist on the table. "It's too personal, man! They almost killed your kid brother!" Sodapop made a choking noise that went unnoticed. "And they sent Johnny to jail! They're too young to go through this shit! I say we jump those sons-of-bitches and give 'em what they deserve!"

Tim stepped in. "Calm down, Winston. Curtis' right, we'll settle it in a rumble and we'll beat those fuckers' heads in."

Dallas cursed under his breath. "Fine. Whatever." Then he stormed out of the house after glancing at Ponyboy one last time.

Tim glanced at Ponyboy too. "How'd he get his arm and leg broken?" he casually asked.

"A beam fell on his arm and then he broke his knee when he fell in the hole," Darry explained. "He spent hours stuck in that hole since the church collapsed on it. Then he passed out or something, 'cause when he woke up, he didn't remember a thing."

Tim cursed under his breath. "Don't worry, Curtis, we'll get 'em. The kid'll be alright and the Socs won't bother us anymore." With a nod of his head, he left the house as well.

Sodapop sighed, smoothing back Ponyboy's grease-free hair from his forehead. "Y'know," he abruptly said, "Dally made a point. When they mess with our gang, it becomes personal. I wanna beat their heads in so bad." Darry noticed that Sodapop was slightly shaking with rage.

"Easy, Sodapop," he murmured, putting his hand on Soda's shoulder and patting it. "Trust me, I wanna beat 'em too, but we all need to blow off some steam in a rumble. They've been jumping us like crazy ever since Bob's murder...We all need to beat their heads in. And then, it'll be over."

Sodapop shook his head and shot from his seat, staring straight at Darry. "I don't understand! Why Ponyboy? Uh? What'd HE do to Bob to get drowned? What'd he do to be stuck in a burning church? He doesn't deserve any of it!"

Darry stood up as well and wrapped both arms around Sodapop, bringing him to his chest. "Easy, Sodapop, take it easy..." Sodapop hugged Darry back and started crying. "Ponyboy's gonna be fine, we'll help him get through it all. He'll get his memory back, and then we'll be a real family again. I promise."

Unbeknownst to the both of them, Ponyboy had woken up and was silently watching the two brothers hug, saddened that he couldn't remember those two caring persons.

XxX

"Here's your meal, Cade."

I sighed as the guard slid my lunch in a small space in the bars. Cold soup, cold bread and lukewarm water. Great.

"Quit your frowning and eat the damn thing," he snapped. I glared back at him. I didn't care that I didn't look as threatening as any other prisoner did. I hated his guts and I showed it. In fact, I hated everyone's guts in this damn place.

Except Peter, the cop who arrested me, but then again, I never saw him, even after he promised me that he'd try being my guard and shit like that. So, I hated him too.

Another cop walked in the room. "You got a visitor, Cade. You better make it snappy."

I glared at him but nonetheless ate my food, which had gotten colder, if possible. They couldn't keep anyone comfortable; couldn't they at least cook decent food? Or heat it?

The first time I had mentioned that, I had gotten slapped hard across the face. "You can endure being uncomfortable; you can endure cold food too," my guard had said. I had only glared at him before finishing my meal and shoving it back outside the cell.

This time, the cop opened my cell door and hauled me to a room, where Dally was sitting. He looked up at me when I walked in, but he didn't say anything.

The cop let go of my arm and walked back out. "You got an hour, Cade," he said before shutting the door closed and locking it. I turned to look back at Dally, who motioned for me to sit down.

"Johnny," he simply said.

"Dally," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, stupid," he said in his usual teasing voice—the one he only used with me or sometimes Ponyboy—but he didn't smirk like he usually did when teasing me. "I don't have good news."

I gulped, fearing the worse. "Is it about..."

"Pony," he interrupted. "He's back home, but he's got amnesia. He doesn't remember a single damn thing. He doesn't even remember his own brothers."

I gaped. "How? He didn't hit his head or anything!"

"Apparently it's from the 'trauma he went through' or some bullshit like that," he answered unemotionally, but I could tell that he was mad. He cared for Pony even if he didn't show it.

Something dawned on me then. "Wh-What about the trial? Bob? He doesn't remember!" I whimpered without meaning too. "How long 'till he does? How long do I have to stay here before the trial date?"

"Easy there, Johnny," Dally said, standing up and making his way next to me, dragging his chair along. He sat down next to me and looked straight at me. "Listen, Ponyboy's memory loss ain't gonna last long. And then, when he remembers, I'm gonna drag his ass here and then I'll have him testify for you. Got it?"

I could only nod.

XxX

**A/N: OMG I'M SORRY GUYS, I HAD THE WRONG CHAPTER! Here's the right one! I'm sorry! It was the first chapter for Heartbeat, my collab with FrankElza. I'll post it now since some of you have seen it now, I guess!**


	14. The Socs

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**I decided to post now since I felt like it.**

**I'm a little disappointed that I didn't reach 100 reviews. Only 2 to go! And here are my replies:**

**First off, I apologize to Jessieklove, Seth Clearwater, Pony'sgirlfriend, The Curtis Crew and Dorianimeyaoilover. I accidently posted the first chapter of my other story Heartbeat (please check it out!) for the 13th chapter of this story! Thank you, Dorianimeyaoilover for pointing it out, or else more people would've been more confused! Thank you for reviewing anyway guys!**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you so much for your review, it means a lot for me to know that I'm your favorite author! I promise I won't disappoint you! ;)**

**FrankElza: Thank you! I had a doubt about how I wrote Dally, but you cleared it out! Thank you for reviewing! :) xx**

**Guest101 (chapter 6): In fact, I think someone pointed it out, but thank you anyway! I could also picture a young Darry, pissed that his new sibling wasn't a girl like planned! The flashback was my personal favorite part of the chapter and I'm glad you liked it!**

**ImAGreaserGirl: Wow, thank you for your review! And it's okay about the fanfiction login, at least I have a name to thank you with! :)**

**tmntlover2013: Thank you for the review! I'm glad to know that you appreciate my story! **

**WatchRain4894: It's alright, don't worry about it! Your review made me laugh; Ugh the feels...Hahaha! Trust me, I can't wait for Pony to have his memory back either, but I decide when! ;P**

**That settles it! Now I have to notify you of something important: I will update Saturday or Sunday with a filler chapter. After that, I will be a little busy for the next few weeks. I have important theatre rehearsals at school since our Outsiders play is coming up in four weeks and I want to work on my acting! I also have a music show next Saturday so this week will be more focused on theatre and music than fanfiction, which is why I will write my chapters early so I can work on them after and post them. I will be posting once a week for the next few weeks! I'll try not to leave any huge cliff-hanger, but don't kill me if I do!**

**Other note: I will re-write the other chapters so they can be in the Narrator's POV. It doesn't make sense to have 7 chapters in a different POV and make the rest of the story in the Narrator's POV, so I'll try to balance it! However, some chapters will not be changed, like Chapter 6 with Darry and his flashback. Anyway, read on and R & R please! The 100th review is just at my fingertips! :D**

XxX

The next day, Darry and Sodapop reluctantly drove to work, having to rely on Two-Bit to watch Ponyboy while they were gone.

And that meant no beer.

Which absolutely bummed Two-Bit.

"You drink beer in front of his face and I make sure you won't have a recognizable face," had been Darry's threat—no, promise, so Two-Bit had quickly agreed.

"Bring him over to the DX when he wakes up," Sodapop had requested.

"Don't hang around in town or don't go too far," Darry had ordered. "The Socs are still roaming the neighborhood, looking for trouble. As soon as they see Pony, they'll jump the two of you."

Two-Bit had waved him off, faking being offended and claiming he was always careful, to which Darry had rolled his eyes before walking out, but then he had peeked through the door and had glared at Two-Bit, pointing his index finger at him. "I mean it, Matthews. You don't deal with him; you deal with me. Got it?"

Two-Bit had muttered: "Got it, Superdope..." to which Darry had scowled but had walked off to the truck, where Soda had been none-patiently waiting in the driver's seat. He had sped off as soon as Darry had hopped in the passenger seat.

And now, it was Two-Bit's turn to wait. And boy, did he hate waiting.

He had half the mind to bolt to the fridge, grab a beer and chug it down, but he tried convincing himself that he was too lazy to get up to get it. Darry would have his ass anyway.

He decided to watch TV. Mickey Mouse wasn't on yet, but it would be soon. He could wait for that.

No longer did he turn the TV set on, that he heard a whimper coming from Pony's room. He paled, knowing where it would lead to, and bolted to Pony's room, where the boy's face was scrunched up and he was sweating bullets.

Two-Bit bit his lip. He was never good at comforting anyway, except maybe his sister or his mother, but Ponyboy was a far cry from it. "Ponyboy, sshhh, wake up."

He didn't want to shake Ponyboy, for fear of having him roll over and fall on the floor. Of course, he would catch him, but he couldn't guarantee he would be mindful of the boy's casts.

Ponyboy let out a shrill scream, which made Two-Bit jump, but this time he gripped Ponyboy by the shoulders and shook him enough to wake him up. Ponyboy shot up in bed, letting out a loud gasp and starting to cough.

Two-Bit sat down next to him and rubbed his back, trying to find a way to ease Ponyboy's coughs. They eventually subsided, and then Ponyboy started crying.

"Aw, hell, Ponyboy, sshhh," he said, rubbing the boy's back awkwardly in what he hoped was still soothing. "You're gonna be fine." Ponyboy sniffled and nodded. "Do you remember it?"

Ponyboy nodded, a few tears making their way down in cheeks. "It was dark...I was cold...Then someone picked me up and tried to drown me, but I couldn't see who..."

Two-Bit paled, fortunately going unnoticed by Ponyboy. _Shit_, Two-Bit thought, _he remembered the fountain and the Socs. Or did he?_

"Do you wanna do something today?" Two-Bit offered lightly, trying to change the subject.

Ponyboy sniffed and cocked his head to the side. "Like what? I can't walk with those casts on."

Two-Bit chuckled at Ponyboy's still apparent innocence. "Nah, I'll wheel you around, show you the town a bit. Then we'll go see Sodapop at work." Ponyboy smiled. "Sounds good?" He nodded.

He stared at the ground before looking back at the older boy. "Two-Bit?"

"Yeah?"

"I like you. You're a good friend."

Two-Bit grinned at the younger boy. "Gee, thanks, kid," he said. Nobody had ever told him that before, and it felt good to know that you're appreciated as a good friend. _Even when the kid doesn't remember me_, Two-Bit thought with a pang in his heart. _He still thinks I'm a good pal_.

"Now get dressed," Two-Bit said with laughter in his voice. "I may be a good friend but I'm not dressing you up."

Ponyboy frowned. "I can't...my casts."

Two-Bit's smile faded. "Shit kid, I was just trying to joke. I forgot." Ponyboy waved him off and forgave him, to which Two-Bit sighed in relief before carefully taking the sling off Ponyboy's arm. The last thing he wanted was to lose Ponyboy's trust over a stupid joke, or hurt Ponyboy's feelings.

Two-Bit helped Ponyboy put sweatpants on and one of Soda's t-shirts which provided both safety and comfort for Ponyboy. Then, he put back the sling on and told him to cover his eyes and that he would give him a surprise. Two-Bit then greased Ponyboy's hair and showed it to Ponyboy with the help of a small portable mirror.

Ponyboy gasped when he saw that. "What did you do to my hair?!" he asked, looking at Two-Bit with an unreadable expression on his face. Two-Bit bit his lip to keep from laughing loudly, but it slipped from his lips anyway. Ponyboy pursed his lips to keep himself from laughing at all, but with Two-Bit, it was hard not to laugh. He learned that easily enough.

"Two-Bit, why'd you do that?" he said between laughter. Two-Bit wiped his eyes.

"The expression on your face, kid!" he exclaimed. "Us greasers put hair grease in our hair, hence our name. It makes us look tough. You're a greaser like us, so you get to look tough like we do!"

Ponyboy shot him a crooked grin. He liked his life so far. True, maybe he was poor, but he had caring brothers and amazing friends. His smile slowly faded when he felt a pang in his heart; they were friends he still couldn't remember.

"Are ya hungry, Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked once he had Ponyboy wheeled in the living room. Ponyboy thought about it, then shook his head.

"I wanna go see Sodapop," he requested, to which Two-Bit grinned and wheeled him out on the porch. Darry and Sodapop had put a ramp on the side and had nailed it down so it wouldn't fall and possibly injure Ponyboy even more. Two-Bit guided Ponyboy out of the street, toward the DX.

On their way there, Two-Bit noticed that they were being followed by a grey Mustang full of Socs. There were maybe five or six Socs in the car. Ponyboy didn't notice.

"Ponyboy," Two-Bit half-said, half-whispered, "someone's following us, and they're not friendly. I'm trying to go as fast as I can. It ain't easy but we're almost there, 'kay?" Ponyboy nodded, looking scared and worried.

They were about two blocks from the DX when the Soc car stopped in front of them and five Socs got out, surrounding the duo. Two-Bit let go of the handles of the wheelchair and protectively stood in front of Ponyboy, who was pale and was started shaking.

"Well, well, well," one of the Socs said. "What do we have here?"

"I don't know, David," another Soc told their 'leader'. "I guess one greaser and one handicap."

"We can help him with that," David sneered.

Two-Bit didn't have the time to talk; the Socs were out for blood. With a cry, two of them caught him while the three remaining Socs, including David, pushed Ponyboy's wheelchair and surroundedhim. Ponyboy was getting panicked.

"Hey, David," one of the Socs said, stopping David and the other one from punching Ponyboy. "Ain't that the kid you tried to drown two days ago?"

_Wait_, Ponyboy thought with wide eyes, _what?_

David paused, then smirked. "Why yes, it is," he said. "I think he hasn't changed. He still needs a bath. What do you think, guys?"

The other Socs whooped. David's smirk widened. "Then let's do it!"

One of the Socs grabbed Ponyboy under the armpits while the other one held his waist. David kicked the wheelchair and watched as Ponyboy struggled and got punched in the stomach, catching him off-guard.

"C'mon, hurry up!" he shouted, then opened the trunk of the car. Ponyboy's eyes widened.

"Two-Bit!" he shrieked. "Two-Bit, help!" The Socs laughed as they punched his face and stomach again, making the boy cough and splutter. They quickly stuffed him in the trunk, but before they could close it, hands gripped the back of their necks and threw them into each other, knocking them out cold instantly. Another hand—curled in a fist—punched David in the face, knocking him down but not unconscious.

He made his way to the driver's seat and shouted for the others to hurry up and "get the hell outta here", in his words. They left Two-Bit just as two pairs of hands grabbed Ponyboy and got him out of the trunk, then slammed the trunk closed.

David drove off, leaving his two unconscious gang members behind and leaving the greasers and rescuers in the dust.

Two-Bit coughed then opened his eyes to look at Ponyboy, who was crying in the rescuers' arms. "Ponyboy!" he cried out, running over to him and hugging him. Normally he wouldn't hug anyone, but Ponyboy had almost been kidnapped right in front of him and he hadn't done enough to protect him. He felt extremely guilty.

"Two-Bit," the boy wailed in his arms, hugging back with one arm, his whole body shaking. He had almost been kidnapped and he was scared.

Two-Bit turned to look at the rescuers and was shocked when he noticed that it was none other than Dallas Winston and Tim Shepard.

"Shepard? Dally!"

Tim coolly nodded while Dallas glared at him. "How could you be so stupid, bringing the kid in town with the Socs waiting for him to show up just to kill him?! Do you realise they coulda drowned him again and damn well murdered him?!"

Two-Bit lost all worry in his face, replacing it by rare anger. "Soda asked me to bring the kid along to the DX! I wasn't gonna refuse him that!"

Dallas cursed. "Yeah, well you coulda waited for someone, stupid!"

A whimper caught both arguers' attention. "Please, guys, stop fighting," Ponyboy asked, still crying and still being supported by Two-Bit. "I-I'm fine now...I just wanna go see Soda."

Two-Bit and Dallas both shared a look, with Dallas mouthing: "We'll talk later," which meant that Two-Bit would need an ice-pack on his eye—whichever one—tonight. They both helped Ponyboy back in the wheelchair. Tim instantly noticed Ponyboy's pained expression.

"You sure you're fine, kid?" he asked, not waiting for a reply. "You hurt anywhere?"

Ponyboy groaned as he shifted in his seat, trying to be comfortable, but his stomach hurt. "Y-Yeah, my stomach. And my face..."

"Two-Bit, go get his meds," Dallas barked, "and clean yourself. We'll take the kid to the DX; no one's gonna mess with us and you just havta run if you don't wanna get jumped again." Two-Bit complied, running over to the Curtis house while he and Tim started wheeled a silently crying Ponyboy to his brother.

XxX

Five minutes later, the trio reached the DX. Tim didn't walk in, claiming he'd meet with Two-Bit and then come. He opened the door for Dallas to wheel Ponyboy in easier and then he left while Dallas wheeled Ponyboy inside, where Sodapop waited for him with a broad smile. It faded as soon as he saw Ponyboy's face.

"Ponyboy! What happened?" Ponyboy looked up at him and sniffled. Dallas stepped in.

"He and Two-Bit got jumped by the Socs. Two-Bit's gone to get his meds and then he'll be back with Shepard."

Sodapop narrowed his eyes. "If there's something you ain't saying..."

Dallas sighed. "These bastards tried to kidnap your brother."

Sodapop took a step back, mouth agape. "What?! Kidnap?"

"They threw him in their trunk when me and Tim got there. We beat those fuckers' heads in and grabbed the kid." Dallas glanced at Ponyboy. "He's been punched on the stomach and on the face, but his arm and leg look okay to me."

"Of course they do," Sodapop snapped. "They're trapped in casts." Dallas ignored Sodapop's attitude, understanding why he was acting this way.

Sodapop made his way to Ponyboy and hugged him. The boy hugged back with his uninjured arm and sniffled. "Sshhh, I'm right here Ponyboy, you're alright now."

"Soda?" Ponyboy sniffed.

"Yeah?"

"...Who were they?"

Sodapop paused. "They're just troublemakers, baby. They're rich kids and they like to hurt us greasers. They're called Socs."

Ponyboy chocked on a sob. "H-He told me that h-he tried to drown me before" he hiccupped, "and that he was g-gonna do it a-again..."

Sodapop paled and his head shot up to look at Dallas, who was trying his best to contain his swears. Sodapop looked back at Ponyboy, who was staring at him with teary yet hopeful eyes. "Did he...?"

Sodapop bit his lip. He reluctantly told the truth. "Yeah, baby, he did. You're okay now, he won't do it again. We'll protect you." Sodapop saw no point in lying to his brother about the drowning, since he would eventually find out once he remembered, and he would probably blame him for not telling him.

Ponyboy buried his head in Sodapop's chest and cried. Dallas cussed up a storm while Sodapop closed his eyes and rubbed his baby brother's back.

Why did the Socs have to mess everything up now?


	15. The Anger

**A/N: Hey guys!**

**Thank you sooo much for the reviews! Wow! 111! I love ya'll so much! Here are my replies:**

**Pony'sgirlfriend:**** Thank for the review. :) Enjoy this chapter. xx**

**BunnyluvsU:**** Yeah. :(**

**Jessieklove:**** Glad you liked it. :) You won't be seeing much of Curly though, I don't really like that character, but I hope this chapter satisfies you.**

**GreaserG1rl201:**** Aww thank you. :) I hope this chapter satisifes you even more. :)**

**SuedeBlink:**** Thanks! :) Glad you did. Hope you will. **

**Seth Clearwater:**** Glad you did. :)**

**WatchRain4898:**** That was really sweet of you! (The last line) I can feel you, I do that too with some stories. *Hands tissue* Don't cry on me now! :P**

**FrankElza:**** Yeah, he does. :( He'll get better soon. ;) Thank you for reviewing!**

**The Curtis Crew:**** Thanks! Here's your update! :)**

**Nessie2000 (2):**** Your review made me laugh! If there would be a way, I would get him out of jail in no time, but even in the 2010's, I don't think people charged with murder are out of prison easily. :( You'll hear from him soon! As for your other review regarding the Outsiders play, I'm Johnny's nurse! :P**

**If some of you wondered who I played, well you got your answer! :)**

**tmntlover2013:**** Thank you for your comment and for your review. :)**

**Guest:**** It's for you to read and find out! ;)**

**Well, that about clears it. **

***Now, I'm warning you: I won't be active this week. The next chapter for Early Fire as well as the next chapter for Heartbeat will both be posted next weekend, IF I have the time at all. I have extremely important theatre rehearsals for Outsiders since we're presenting in exactly three weeks from now and I need to focus on my lines and on my character. Plus, I babysit all week and I have a music show next weekend, so I might not even be able to post my chapters next weekend. If there's ANYTHING, send me a private message and I'll notify you of my progress.**

**Anyway, thank you all for reviewing! And congrats to BunnyluvsU for being my 100th review! Enjoy this chapter!**

XxX

When Darry got back from work that day, the house was empty. No sign of his brothers or Two-Bit anywhere.

He threw his tool belt on the floor before making his way outside to the mailbox. He got one bill, one ad and another letter from Johnny, which reminded him that he should write back to Johnny and tell him about Ponyboy.

He sat down on the recliner and tore open the envelop, grabbing the letter and reading it to himself.

"_Dear Darry,_"

He stopped reading, surprised. How did Johnny know who to write to? He resumed his reading.

"_I'm sorry to hear about Ponyboy. Dally came yesterday afternoon and told me everything._" Darry sighed. "_I wish Pony could write back to me or visit me, but I think it would be better if he didn't know anything about me right now._

_I wish he would be alright, though. I knew he'd have a broken leg and arm, when we rescued him. He was scared and clung to be an awful lot. I was thankful that the firefighters let me help him, or else he'd probably be in worse condition. I still wish he would remember who he was, and who I am. I miss him._

_I miss y'all. Jail sucks, but at least Dally visits me sometimes. I really want to see y'all, though. In fact, I wish I could just hang around your house and get over with the trial and all. I hope y'all gonna be there._

_I'm sorry about everything; the murder, the fire and dragging Ponyboy with me. It's my fault he got drowned, and my fault he got stuck in the church. Whenever he remembers me, tell him I'm sorry._

_Johnny_"

Darry lowered the letter and blankly stared at the wall. _Poor Johnny_, he thought, _he doesn't deserve to go through this._ Darry bit his bottom lip. He felt guilty about not visiting Johnny. He vowed that he would visit Johnny with Two-Bit and probably Steve too while Sodapop would take care of Ponyboy at home. Then Soda would get to see him too.

Just as he thought about them, the front door busted opened and said boys walked in, wheeling Ponyboy in, all with worry and anger on their faces. "Hey y'all," he greeted the gang and his brothers, and only then he noticed how tense they looked. "What happened?"

"We got jumped," Two-Bit sheepishly stated. Darry closed his eyes, counted to ten and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was a trick his dad thought him to calm down when his brothers would piss him off or when he'd be stressed out about finals.

"What did I tell you about hanging around town?" Darry hissed. He wasn't yelling, but Two-Bit knew he was mad. In a way, yelling would be better. "I told you not to go too far, or the Socs would hurt you! You didn't listen, again!"

Dallas stepped in; he was the only one brave enough to confront Darry. "They were walking toward the DX to see Sodapop," he explained as calmly as he could, but Dallas Winston was rarely calm and he was already mad at the Socs. "We found them just as they were about to drive off with your brother."

"Well why didn't you..." he started, then shut his mouth, eyes widening. "What? 'Drive off with my brother'? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"They tried to kidnap him," Sodapop said in a shaky voice. He still wasn't quite over it. "They said they'd drown him again. They were the same Socs from that night." Darry paled.

"They stuffed him in their trunk when we reached them," Tim said, having hung out with the gang until they would be home. "We beat 'em unconscious and helped your brother out. The remaining bastards left, leaving their "friends" behind. I kicked 'em a couple more times when I passed by with Two-Bit, who came back here for supplies and Pony's meds."

"Pony slept a little at the DX," Sodapop concluded. "And we all hung out until we were done with our shifts."

Darry finally looked at Ponyboy, who looked tired but otherwise fine. He had a bandage on his face and he held his stomach protectively. "Are you alright, Ponyboy?" he softly asked, kneeling in front of his baby brother.

Ponyboy nodded. "I will be," he softly answered. "Can I go lie down?" Darry reluctantly nodded, lightly pushing Sodapop aside so he could wheel Ponyboy to his room himself.

"I'll let you sleep in my bed for now," Darry said. "I'll wake you for dinner later." At this, Ponyboy frowned a little. "I know you might not be hungry, but you should try to eat a little, Ponyboy. 'Kay?"

"You'll be able to taste my blue mashes potatoes," Sodapop piped in from his position by the door, grinning. Ponyboy smiled too.

"Blue potatoes?" Ponyboy exclaimed, then lightly laughed. Sodapop lovingly looked at him, enjoying Ponyboy's laugh; a sound he hadn't heard for so long, it seemed.

"Yeah, kiddo," he said. "I like to color my food when I cook." He smiled at Ponyboy's face.

A smile tugged at Darry's lips. "Just don't mess up the food itself," he teased.

Sodapop waved him off exaggeratedly. "Yeah yeah, whatever." Ponyboy softly giggled, eyes drooping. Sodapop left to prepare dinner while Darry brushed Ponyboy's bangs back from his forehead.

"Get some sleep, Little Colt," he whispered. He kissed Ponyboy's forehead and got up, making his way to the living room, where only Steve and Two-Bit remained.

"Dal and Tim left?" Darry asked. Steve nodded.

"They had something to do," Two-Bit said with a shrug.

"Whatever it is," Steve added.

Darry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what it was they had to do.

**(A/N: I could stop it here but I promised you no cliffie while I might be absent for two or three weeks, so there you go!)**

XxX

Tim and Dallas were strolling down to the Dingo, sleeves rolled up, muscles flexed and scowls on their faces. The Socs they passed by actually didn't mess with them. They looked murderous.

A couple of the Brumly boys along with other hoods were standing by the alley across from the Dingo, so Tim and Dallas joined them, cussing at a car as the driver honked at them.

"So," Bruce, Brumly leader, casually said, "what you fuckers want?"

Tim cussed at them good-naturedly. "I need a fucking rumble, man."

Dallas leaned back against the brick wall and slouched. "They jumped the Curtis kid."

"No shit," one hood said, while Bruce stared at him.

"You talkin' 'bout Ponyboy Curtis, the kid in a wheelchair and with no memory?" Bruce asked. Dallas gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Jumped him an' Two-Bit by the DX," Tim explained. "They were 'bout to dump the kid in their trunk and drown him again." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Fucking Socs," Dallas concluded angrily. "They walk around like they own this fucking town."

"Socs got some nerve," Bruce agreed. "Tell ya what. I'll have a 'chat' with the first Soc I see; make 'em spread word of a rumble around." He grinned, showing animal-like teeth. "Then, well, I'll make sure he ain't gonna be in it."

Tim shook his hand. "We got ourselves a deal." He glanced at Dallas. "We should ask Darry how it should be."

Bruce mocked him. "Why? Can't decide yourself? Hell, I thought you were tuff enough to decide it's gonna be knives an' chains an' stuff."

Tim socked him a good one in the face. No one moved. "Why? 'Cause Darry Curtis is the one gonna be starting the rumble anyway."

"I think it would be fair to let him have a say in this," Dallas added, not phased one bit by the look on Bruce's face, who was glaring at both hoods.

Just as Bruce was about to reply, they heard shouts coming from the Dingo. Tim peeked from his spot against the alley's brick wall and immediately shouted a "Hey!" before running toward the area of the shouts. Dallas looked as well and instantly ran after the Shepard leader, followed by Bruce and a couple of hoods.

Curly Shepard was surrounded by six Socs, along with his friend Mark Jennings, who were both frankly getting the shit kicked out of them despite their strength.

With as much force as he could muster, Tim slammed into one of the Socs, who stumbled and fell on another Soc, unconscious from the force of Tim's tackle. As the other Soc tried to get up, Tim proceeded in beating the shit out of him, punching him on the face and on the ribs numerous times.

Dallas tackled another Socs and kicked him anywhere he could think of while he fought off another Soc with his arms and fists.

Finally, Bruce caught the last two Socs by their necks and slammed their foreheads against each other, knocking the both of them out. The other hoods kicked the Socs once or twice before helping Tim with Curly and Mark.

Mark had passed out from the pain while Curly had his eyes half-opened and he tried to fight unconsciousness. He groaned and weakly swung at Tim as the Shepard leader tried to pick him up, and without thinking, Dallas socked him on the temple, knocking him out. Tim looked at him in thanks; both hoods knew that Curly would be much better knocked out than conscious and feeling the pain.

Bruce stared at Tim and Dallas coolly. He never understood their relationship; they could buddy around for one second and then they would try to kill each other the next. Despite that, he, along with every other Tulsa hood, respected the duo. They were probably the toughest of the bunch, especially Dallas, who had lived in the rough city of New York and had much more experience than any of them ever will.

"Damn Socs jumped my brother two times in two days," Tim raged while he slung Curly on his shoulder like a potato sack and effortlessly carried him. Dallas stared at the Brumly leader but mostly spoke to Tim.

"I'm gonna have a chat with Darry Curtis," he stated, "and we're gonna settle a date for the rumble. This shit needs to stop."

It was agreed by every hood. The Socs needed to be stopped once and for all.


End file.
